Türkiye regresses to ‘pre-antibiotic era’ due to overuse

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has regressed to a “pre-antibiotic era” due to its widespread and unnecessary use, making even the treatment of simple infections increasingly challenging, all due to the resistance acquired by microorganisms, a microbiology expert has stated.

Serap Şimşek Yavuz, also member of the Coronavirus Scientific Committee of the Health Ministry, noted that antibiotic resistance, which has been one of Türkiye’s major healthcare issues before the pandemic, has become even more perilous with the added impact of the Feb. 6 earthquakes.

Rational antibiotic usage rules could not be adhered to as healthcare professionals struggled to implement both hospital infection control processes and the prudent use of antibiotics while dealing with urgent situations.

As a consequence of excessive and inappropriate usage, many diseases that should be treatable with antibiotics no longer respond to antibiotic therapy, Yavuz said.

"Patients can succumb to bacterial infections, sometimes even simple bacterial infections, much like in the pre-antibiotic era."

"Unfortunately, we are facing microorganisms that have no effective drugs or treatment options. The threat of returning to the pre-antibiotic era has become a reality. In Türkiye, the burden of diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens is exceedingly high," she stated.

Even for a simple infection, doctors are forced to hospitalize the patient and treat them with much broader-spectrum antibiotics, Yavuz explained.

"The more antibiotics are used, the more resistance grows. Therefore, what we call rational antibiotic practices, where antibiotics are used only when necessary, should be implemented vigorously across the entire country through intensive educational and awareness campaigns. Adequate resources should be allocated for this purpose, as the cost is actually much lower than what would be spent on treatment," she stressed.