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RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS could be killing people in Ireland, an MEP has said.
Speaking at the European Parliament yesterday, Marian Harkin, the independent MEP for the Midlands-North West constituency, said that the level that antibiotics are prescribed at in Ireland is worrying.
In an interview with EuroParlRadio, she said, “we are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics.”
So that means what we now look on as fairly standard procedures like maybe a hip replacement or of course cancer therapies etc, that they would become next, neigh to, impossible because of the huge risks of infection. Now we’re not at that point yet, but we’re getting there.
Harkin’s concerns were specifically with nursing homes in Ireland, stating that reports had found the level of antibiotics prescribed here to be twice that of the European average.
These comments followed MEPs voting on a blueprint to promote safer healthcare in hospitals across the EU. The report notes that 8% to 12% of patients in hospitals across the EU suffer from “adverse events”, which are implicated in 37,000 deaths a year.
The blueprint looked at antibiotics in relation to both humans and animals.
On the use of antibiotics by humans, it was proposed that their use without prescription is strictly limited; that a microbiological diagnosis is required before they can be prescribed; that conflicts of interests between producers and prescribers are prevented; and clearer information on antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial agents is published.
It was also proposed that MEPs urge pharmaceutical companies to develop new antibiotic drugs.
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Well it’s not helping that they are pumping antibiotics into animals consumed by humans.
Seen a couple of programmes on this lately. A little bit scary
Would you want to eat a cow, knowing that it had a heavy cold when it died?
What antibiotics ca you get ” without prescription” ?
Rory, often antibiotics are given to animals to increase their growth rate. The regulations surrounding the use of antibiotics in farming are completely different to those relating to humans.
Hormones are given to animals to increase their growth rate. Antibiotics are given to them so they don’t get ill living in the disgusting environment that they are kept in. Easier to dose them all up then to treat them when they do get ill. Especially if you have thousands of chickens on minimal space etc…
Antibiotics can’t treat viral infections.
Everyone knows that.
And yet…
I know a guy who, at the first sign of illness, takes one or two antibiotics then stops. Swears it cures him. Never finishes a full course and won’t listen to reason on the subject.
What a tw*t. People abusing antibiotics are a scourge on our healthcare system, and we’d feel the horrendous effects of that if it continues.
Jake, sadly, and according to my GP, not everyone knows that.
Farmers use antibiotics freely, in cattle ,sheep, chickens, pigs-you name it.
This is the principall cause of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
U’ll be dead by the time the “microbiological diagnosis” or culture results are in…
Antibiotics can cause damage to peoples cells and their DNA… COULD THE INCREASE IN CANCERS AND ANTIBIOTICS BE LINKED AS WELL?
“A microbiological diagnosis be required before they are prescribed”. Okay, I’ll just leave this clear case of meningitis untreated while I wait for the diagnosis to be confirmed by the lab. Three days time you say? Okay no problem. We’ll just wait.
It’s better than having antibiotics prescribed to everyone with a light sniffle, which is effectively what is happening now. Compromises.
I moved and changed my GP three years ago.
My previous doctor was the kind who’d say “Well I could give you an antibiotic, but it’ll clear up without one”.
My mother was a nurse and strongly impressed that they should be avoided unless clearly necessary.
My new doctor gives them for everything. I’ve actually had arguments with him about them. I’ve insisted I don’t need them and he’s insisted I do.
We hardly ever seem to get this right, we go to the GP when an awful lot of the time a chat with a pharmacist will do. Antibiotics instead of letting the immune system do it’s job. A&E instead of the GP or out of hours doctors.
Obviously there are time when we really do need to take them and failure to do so can actually put our lives at risk. However, we really can go for years at a time without requiring any.
Most nutrient dense food is food in its natural state. Says a lot
I’m a little confused. ‘Natural state’ – means what exactly? Right off the tree or from the ground? And to be fair, there are lots of genetically engineered foods that have extra vitamins and other nutrients added to them, which save lives and prevent disease/vitamin deficiencies in poor countries. So I’m not sure I’d agree.
Tell the farmers!
I do support our farming, very much so but the antibiotic use just in case, or as a matter of course is a complete misuse of these drugs. I am against slurry and most pesticides too.
There was a fantastic documentary on bbc panorama on Monday night about this exact topic. It was scary to watch.
When Alexander Fleming discovered antibiotics (penicillin) in 1923 he warned people that the very purpose of bacteria is to survive.
It only takes one in a billion bacteria to be tougher than the rest.
Survival of the fittest.
The toughest bacteria are now emerging…they shrug off antibiotics.
Pure evolution.
have your say