“Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiotic Overprescription”

A Review of the Literature on Antimicrobial Resistance from Antibiotic Overprescription and Parental Awareness

 

 

Christian Xu

The Division of Science, The City College of New York

ENGL 21003: Writing for the Sciences

Professor Brittany Zayas

March 16, 2023

 

 

Introduction

The ubiquity of antibiotics and the integral role they play in human health cannot be overstated.  However, the widespread use of antibiotics has always garnered its subsequent misuse. The looming presence of antibiotic misuse has been an enduring issue for children’s immune health, parent-physician relationship, and parent’s themselves, who are responsible for arming aiding their children

Specifically the overuse of antibiotics have presented various antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile, and other infectious bacterial diseases that pose a difficulty in treating with conventional antibiotics (Richmond et al., 2019). Many misconceptions surrounding antibiotics overuse stems from the general lack of knowledge behind antimicrobial resistance and the downplay of implications on health, along with the purpose of antibiotics and the limitations they hold.  Couple this with miscommunication with general family practitioners that sparks the overprescription of antibiotics leading to the consequences. Even when parents are presented with the option of not needing a prescription for antibiotics, they would seek out a second physician option that was more in line with what they wanted.

Parental Knowledge of Antimicrobial Resistance

The knowledge that parents possess in regards to proper antibiotic use and the effects that misuse may have on their children’s health is especially paramount. When a child is ill the parents are expected to take the leading role in providing the proper care in order to nurse them back to health. This role involves taking the initiative to learn about the potential drawbacks and limitations of a specific treatment for their child’s illness and weighing the options respectively. The involvement of antibiotics in children’s health has always been widespread and ubiquitous. Around 17.7 billion standard units of prescription antibiotics are sold globally every year. Of the total units, a quarter represented oral antibiotics formulated for children (Alejandro et al., 2022). Thus, it demonstrates its persistent staying power. In a study conducted by Alejandro et al. in Perth, Western Australia (WA) the researchers focused on assessing parental knowledge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the awareness of their potential threats. The researchers organized participants for their study from two local government areas of Perth: Cockburn and Kwinana. The purpose would be to provide the widest and broadest scope of where individual knowledge of AMR stands in relation to the varying socioeconomic background. Using the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Western Australian State Government determined that the local government area of Cockburn presented a higher SEIFA score than Kwinana, indicating a healthier socioeconomic background. Moreover, based on the disparity of certain socioeconomic groups in Western Australia, Alejandro et al. indicated a relationship between a poor socioeconomic background and the misuse of antibiotics to treat viral infections such as acute respiratory infections. This is evident in An equally important aspect for researchers in analyzing Western Australia directly as opposed to other states was the varying ranges in high and low socioeconomic statuses affecting the prevalence of acute respiratory infections (ARIs). ARIs , due to the elevated occurrences of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and subsequent emergency department visits as a result. Although the prevalence of antibiotic use from the sheer is also the gateway to antibiotic misuse from the overprescription of antibiotics on the physicians’ part. For instance, shave specifically antibiotic  and not just put them under the light of being an all-curing

Parent-General Practitioner Relationship

References

https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13265

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13111

https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.176123

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-018-8776-0

https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13175

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11786/#:~:text=Acute%20respiratory%20infections%20(ARIs)%20are,sinuses%20and%20the%20middle%20ear.