In the treasure of modern medicine, antibacterial drugs are like a sharp double-edged sword, and while treating people, they also face the serious challenge of bacterial resistance, as if they were carefully swimming between treatment and resistance.
The discovery of antibacterial drugs is a major milestone in medical history. Since penicillin was accidentally discovered and successfully applied to clinical treatment, a range of antibacterial drugs have emerged as springs of rain. They attack bacteria through a variety of unique mechanisms. For example, beta-nimide antibiotics (e.g. penicillin, sapulin, etc.) can accurately interfere with the synthesis of bacterial cell walls, depriving bacteria of critical structural support during their growth and reproduction and eventually leading to death; quinone-type drugs are nuanced in bacteria’ DNA revolving enzymes, preventing the reproduction of bacteria’ DNA, preventing it from proliferating; and sulfamides, by curbing the synthesis of bacteria’ folic acids in a competitive manner, cut off the supply of vital nutrients necessary for bacteria’ growth and thus inhibit bacteria’ growth. In clinical practice, the performance of antibacterial drugs is indelible. They are powerful tools for doctors to combat bacterial infections, ranging from common respiratory infections, urinary infections to severe sepsis, meningitis and so on, and anti-bacterial drugs can rise at critical times. For example, when treating pneumonia, appropriate antibacterial drugs can rapidly eliminate pneumonia, alleviate the symptoms of fever, cough, respiratory difficulties and gradually rehabilitate patients. In the area of surgical operations, the preventive use of antibacterial drugs can significantly reduce the risk of surgical oral infections, guarantee the successful operation of the operation and facilitate the successful recovery of the patient.
However, the widespread use of antibacterial drugs has also led to a global health crisis of drug resistance. Bacteria are more resilient than can be imagined, and under the strong pressure of antibacterial drugs they evolve and mutate. Some bacteria make it difficult for antibacterial drugs to function in their cells by altering the structure of their own cell walls or the permeability of their cellular membranes; or create enzymes capable of deciphering antibacterial drugs and disrupting them; others make antibacterial drugs resistant by altering their target points. For example, in the case of methoxysilincin yellow grapes (MRSA), this “superbacterial” is resistant to a variety of traditional antibacterial drugs, which, once infected, are extremely difficult to treat and often require the use of new types of antibacterial drugs that are more expensive and may have greater side effects, and sometimes even the absence of a drug.
Multi-faceted efforts are indispensable in order to counter the contradiction between treatment and drug resistance. From a medical professional point of view, doctors need to continuously raise their own levels of awareness and use of antibacterial drugs, strictly follow the rules for the use of antibacterial drugs, select the appropriate antibacterial drugs with precision, determine the appropriate dose and course of treatment, and avoid unnecessary antibacterial drug use, depending on the type of pathogens, the results of drug-sensitive tests and the specific circumstances of the patient. Medical institutions should also strengthen the management and monitoring of the use of anti-bacterial drugs, establish a well-established system of prescription points for anti-bacterial drugs, and detect and correct irrational drug use in a timely manner. At the public level, there is a need to improve the correct perception of anti-bacterial drugs and to reject the misconception that antibacterials are used instead of buying and abusing them on their own. For example, common influenza is mostly caused by viruses, for which antibacterial drugs are not therapeutic, while the abuse of antibacterial drugs only increases the risk of bacteria producing resistance.
Antibacterial drugs, a medical device, will continue to play an important role on the path to treatment, but we must be conscious of the seriousness of the problem of drug resistance and keep antibacterial drugs safe on the balance of treatment and resistance, through scientifically sound use and comprehensive management, to protect human health.
