Bacterial resistance arising from the indiscriminate use of antibiotics

• Autor(a) principal: Caldas, Alison Freire
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Oliveira, Carlos Silva de, Silva, Diego Pereira da
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Scire Salutis
• Texto Completo: https://sustenere.inf.br/index.php/sciresalutis/article/view/6371
• topic: Antibióticos; Resistência Bacteriana; Automedicação; Antibiotics; Bacterial Resistance; Self-medication

Antibiotics are drugs that have revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases caused by bacteria and have reduced worldwide morbidity and mortality rates associated with bacterial infections. However, the irregular use of this class of drugs causes an increase in the bacteria's natural resistance process against antibiotics. This is due to the fact that in the natural environment, the production of antimicrobials is carried out by microbial populations as a competitive tool for obtaining nutritional resources and, also, space within the micro-habitat they occupy. The objective of this work is to highlight the risks and harms arising from the misuse of antibiotics, emphasizing the causes of the development of bacterial resistance resulting from the irrational use of this class of drugs, such as self-medication, and the necessary measures to avoid the development of superbugs. A field survey was carried out in August 2021, designed through a questionnaire related to the use of antibiotics. Forty-eight volunteers were interviewed in the city of Redenção – PA, who signed the free and informed consent form, in order to assess the conception that people have in relation to the use of antibiotics. Studies show that bacterial resistance is considered to result from the inappropriate use of antibiotics, causing the bacteria to gain strength and consequently making them ineffective in the treatment of infections. However, with our research, we contribute to raising people's awareness about the risks of irregular consumption of antibiotics and the benefits of a treatment prescribed by a medical professional, seeking to reduce bacterial resistance rates and increase the efficiency of the drugs used in treatments against different types of bacterial infections.