One in six infections transmitted during surgery in wealthy countries such as UK are now resistant to antibiotics according to recent research by Edinburgh, Warwick and Birmingham universities as reported in the media this week. This is NOT good news, is it?
Antibiotics are routinely given before operations to kill bacteria and protect patients from disease. But their overuse has meant many germs have evolved to resist the drugs, with some dangerous bacteria strains becoming completely untreatable. The NHS-funded study involved 12,539 patients in 66 countries. In poor countries the problem was even worse with antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in 36% of infections.
Now clearly I can see the reasoning for trying to avoid a patient going through surgery getting an infection, but there has to be a better way, doesn’t there, than giving ‘just-in-case’ doses? I don’t know what the answer is, of course, and feel for doctors put in that situation, but you can bet other research is looking into alternatives and I look forward to seeing it.
It did remind me, though, to make sure you know what alternatives there are out there for antibiotics so that we, personally, can stem the tide a little bit, hopefully leaving antibiotics for when they are crucially needed.
Check out my Infections factsheet here. I have included tons of info on various infection types, how you might detect them and what you might use from the natural armoury, which is extensive, trust me. Just last week, I reduced that awful cough/cold lurgy thing that everyone is taking weeks to shift to 4 days by inhaling eucalyptus citriodora (a lemony type which I just love) every few hours religiously. I also massaged it (in oil base) into my throat area and rubbed teatree around my throat and sinus glands. Things do work, if you use them.