| 1 | | | YOU can’t see them but there are some very ugly | | 5 | | | Many GPs will also want a quiet life and |
| | | bugs out there and they are getting stronger and | | | | | prescribe medicines where it is the safe thing to do, |
| | | stronger. They are clever. They are growing more | | | | | especially where there is severe pressure from the |
| | | and more resistant to our drugs. The House of | | | | | patient. Changes in working habits have greatly |
| 5 | | Lords science and technology committee reports | | | 50 | | increased these demands.Where mothers go out to |
| | | that diseases such as tuberculosis and meningitis | | | | | work they often cannot easily take time off to look |
| | | are becoming increasingly hard to treat with | | | | | after a sick child; in the USA some day-care centres |
| | | common antibiotics. | | | | | (nurseries) even require a certificate that |
| 2 | | | Whilst we entirely believe their Lordships, this | | | | | antibiotics have been taken before a child who has |
| 10 | | news is a bit hard to take. If you were looking for | | | 55 | | been sick is allowed to return to the centre. |
| | | the one single medical breakthrough that has saved | | | | | According to the American Society for Micro- |
| | | more lives than any other, it would be hard to beat | | | | | biology, the number of American children under six |
| | | antibiotics. The news that this light is failing is | | | | | attending day-care has risen to 60 per cent since |
| | | worrying even to a generation accustomed to the | | | | | 1975; over that period, the amount of antibiotics |
| 15 | | idea of threatening global economic and nuclear | | | 60 | | prescribed has tripled, and 20 to 25 per cent of |
| | | catastrophes.What is remarkable about this poten- | | | | | antibiotics in the USA are prescribed for children. |
| | | tial disaster is the casual way we walked into it. | | | | | Day-care centres are also, of course, an ideal setting |
| 3 | | | Recent experience has taught us that one of the | | | | | for the spread of infection. |
| | | first places to find carelessness is the farmyard.The | | 6 | | | The only way to cut through this is, again, by |
| 20 | | use of growth-promoting chemicals and the | | | 65 | | regulation. It requires action by government to roll |
| | | excessive and unnecessary use of antibiotics has | | | | | back over-prescription. There is a lot that can be |
| | | turned our farms into factories for the production | | | | | done simply by encouraging best practice and by |
| | | of resistant bacteria.We have to do more than just | | | | | discouraging the worst cases of doctors doling out |
| | | blame the farmers. It is not their fault. You cannot | | | | | these tablets as they might sweets. |
| 25 | | argue that a farmer should cut out growth drugs | | 7 | 70 | | But farmyards and pharmacies aren’t the only |
| | | and antibiotics if that would place him at a | | | | | danger-spots. Your supermarket is now selling |
| | | competitive disadvantage. Agriculture is an ex- | | | | | another potential risk factor – the anti-bacterial |
| | | tremely competitive business. Getting your pig or | | | | | chopping board. It will only be a matter of time |
| | | chicken to grow 5 per cent faster is no trivial gain. | | | | | before we follow the Americans and see many |
| 30 | | The obvious answer is to phase out the routine use | | | 75 | | more domestic articles – other kitchenware, soap, |
| | | of these drugs as quickly as possible.This has to be | | | | | even children’s toys – which are advertised as |
| | | done by government action on a European scale. | | | | | containing anti-bacterials. These may in time |
| 4 | | | But another environment for antibiotic abuse, | | | | | become a further serious threat to normal bacterial |
| | | and one closer to many homes, is the doctor’s | | | | | ecology. It might be advisable to have a look at |
| 35 | | surgery. A version of the “prisoner’s dilemma” | | | 80 | | whether this particular technological leap forward |
| | | operates.Those who have tried to calm a child with | | | | | is one that we can live without. |
| | | a nasty sore throat or infected ear know that you | | 8 | | | Superbug may already be with us.The bacterium |
| | | want something that will end your child’s suffering | | | | | pseudomonas aeruginosa is said to shrug off even |
| | | quickly. Through the whimpering you may recall | | | | | the current “last resort” family of antibiotics. We |
| 40 | | that widespread use of these drugs may be driving | | | 85 | | have lived through many such scares that never |
| | | civilisation towards the arrival of incurable super- | | | | | materialised. This time, though, there’s enough to |
| | | bugs. But in order to affect things, everyone would | | | | | worry about for us to think a change in habits is |
| | | have to give up the antibiotic habit, and not every- | | | | | needed. We may never meet a smaller or a more |
| | | one will – a child’s sobbing sounds louder than any | | | | | dangerous enemy. We have no time to waste in |
| 45 | | warning. | | | 90 | | fighting back. |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | ‘The Independent’, April 24, 1998 |
