The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control announces that at European level there is a spectacular increase in the resistance to latest generation antibiotics in terms of certain enterobacteria. Among them E.Coli and Klebsiella Pneumoniae. This represents, say European officials, a serious public health problem and a threat to the safety of patients in Europe but also from all over the world.
Nosocomial infections, the danger that lures in hospitals throughout Europe. Archive
When state -of -the -art antibiotics are no longer effective, it means no antibiotic remains that the patient can treat, which causes infections with intestinal germs to be potentially lethal.
The Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, for example, is found in the intestine and is usually not dangerous. However, if it reaches other parts of the body, it can cause serious problems. These bacteria can cause various infections, including pneumonia, blood infections or meningitis. Unfortunately, these diseases caused by Klebsiella can no longer be treated, because the bacterium no longer reacts to antibiotics.
The reason? “People who come to the hospital with different infections receive very strong antibiotics. But those antibiotics act even on the digestive tract, where enterobacteria are present. The moment when some of these enterobacteria die, and others begin to develop resistance ”explained for “Adevărul” Dr. Mihai Negrea, an epidemiologist at the Emergency Clinical Hospital in Târgu Mureș.
If such a patient, who has developed resistance, contacts Klebsiella taken from another patient or after contacting contaminated objects, he risks losing his life. “Because not even state-of-the-art antibiotics, such as carbapenems, no longer have their effect in fighting these intestinal bacteria,” the doctor continues.
The bad news is that in Romania, in the last five years, the percentage of people infected with Klebsiella has increased by 180%, according to information provided by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. And Insparers provide us with data: according to the institution, the rate of invasive infections increased from 13% in 2012 to 54% in 2021, for hospitals from which data is collected.
How to transmitted Klebsiella
How is the bacteria contact? Through urinary probes, catheters, medical devices that have not been sanitized and disinfected. It should be noted that the infection cannot be transmitted by air, but only by direct contact with infected persons or by exposure to contaminated sources. “The bacteria can enter the body through a lesion in the skin or in the intra -hospital environment, by using contaminated medical equipment, such as intubation tubes, catheters and fans, etc. ”, says the doctor Negrea.
“For example, a patient with urinary infection generated by Klebsiella He is presented at the hospital, he is admitted, treated but, because the hospital does not take isolation measures, he transmits the bacterium further to other patients. Or even to itself because the bacterium can migrate from the urinary tract to the lungs, in the blood, etc. When immunity decreases, man can die of pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, etc. ”.
What prevention measures should be taken?
Hospitals should take safety measures to limit the extension of this bacterium. “First of all, all persons with resistance, but also the bearing bacteria should be identified. Then the latter should be isolated in such a way as to transmit to those with low immunity. These infected patients should stay in the same salon, and the medical staff should be a dedicated one. To use disposable materials, there is a rigorous disinfection of the utensils in such a way that the bacteria does not extend to other sections or salons ”, The Negrea epidemiologist continues.
According to IEP, it is estimated that in 2019 infections with antibiotic resistant bacteria have directly caused 1.27 million deaths and contributed to almost 5 million deaths worldwide.
