Problems and risks of antibiotics
It doesn’t work without antibiotics, even if more and more germs are becoming immune to them,” says Prof. em. Franz Daschner, infectiologist from Freiburg. The pharmaceutical industry, the doctors and patients and the poultry farmers are to blame for the latter. In the following interview, the chairman of the “viamedica – Foundation for Healthy Medicine” explains how all of this is connected. And he names highly effective wonder weapons from nature that often fight bronchitis or bladder infections better than antibiotics from the test tube.
Tolfioow: How dangerous is antibiotic resistance?
Prof. Daschner: They are among the biggest infectious problems worldwide. Hundreds of thousands die every year from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant germs. Ever since antibiotics became available to medicine, the number of bacteria against which they are no longer effective has steadily increased. This dilemma will become even worse in the next ten or twenty years because the pharmaceutical industry is now bringing fewer and fewer new antibiotics onto the market.
Why are there fewer and fewer new antibiotics?
The fact is that between 1960 and 1990 around 40 new active ingredients came onto the market – but since 2000 only a handful. The reason: the development of a new antibiotic is extremely expensive. It costs about half a billion to a billion euros. Of course, the manufacturers say to themselves: “If resistance develops so often, our new agent will quickly become ineffective. The effort isn’t worth it.” So the old, less effective preparations have to be used more often. This also promotes resistance.
Are doctors exacerbating the problem of antibiotics being used in an inflationary manner?
Yes. In Germany, it is mainly paediatricians and general practitioners who use antibiotics incorrectly or too often. For paediatricians, it’s all about their patients. The younger the child, the more likely it is to have an infection. And many parents are overly anxious and insist on an antibiotic prescription. It so happens that e.g. For example, in the case of a simple middle ear infection, contrary to current therapy guidelines, a broad-spectrum antibiotic is prescribed. Overwork also plays a role for general practitioners. If they have to “smuggle through” 40 patients or more in one morning, there is not enough time for the individual, and often for the diagnostics as well. Then reaching for the antibiotic prescription is a lot quicker.
Doctors use antibiotics wrong – what do you mean exactly?
They prescribe antibiotics for infections of the upper respiratory tract more often than average. They overlook the fact that 90 percent of these infections – from the common cold to sinusitis – are caused by viruses. Antibiotics only fight bacteria. If the doctor does not make this distinction, it is not surprising that the patient, as a medical layperson, thinks “antibiotics help against everything that causes an infection” and very often demands the drugs.
But these days, rapid tests can help differentiate.
Yes, the PCT test e.g. B. gives a certain certainty that it is a bacterial infection. Measuring C-reactive protein, an “inflammatory” protein, also makes sense. Its value is increased when there is an infection, especially a bacterial one. The result of this test is not 100% reliable either, but it provides an initial indication. Then there’s the strep test, which is a swab in the throat. With its help, the doctor can determine whether it is A streptococci, the most common trigger of bacterial angina. But there are still no rapid tests with absolute diagnostic information.
Is the patient to blame if antibiotics don’t work properly?
In many cases yes. That’s why I urge everyone: Don’t let the package insert unsettle you. The listed side effects must be listed according to legal requirements, but they usually occur less frequently than feared. Take the antibiotic exactly as your doctor prescribed. Even if you feel better. Then the symptoms are gone, but the bacteria are not. penicillins e.g. eg you have to take ten days for angina, cephalosporins five days. Do not keep the antibiotic to swallow it yourself the next time you have an infection. Never take antibiotics without a doctor’s recommendation.
Do certain foods reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics?
Yes, e.g. For example, orange juice, dairy products or muesli can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics. And with certain z. B. against high blood pressure or heart disease, there may be interactions. Patients should also strictly adhere to the time intervals between taking antibiotics. My advice for doctors and patients: In the case of mild and moderate infections of the respiratory tract, phytopharmaceuticals with proven effectiveness should be used.