- Tweeter
republish
Some bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. A phenomenon that worries more and more the medical world and was at the heart of the European information day on antibiotics, organized this Monday, November 18 in Stockholm.
With our correspondent in Stockholm, Frédéric Faux
Every year in Europe, 33,000 people die from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. An impact comparable to that of AIDS, influenza and tuberculosis combined.
A phenomenon that particularly affects countries where antibiotics are most prescribed, such as France , Spain, Greece, which are also those where the highest resistance.
" The country which prescribes the most per capita, prescribes three times more than the country which prescribes the least. We asked what were the reasons why doctors in Europe prescribed antibiotics when they would have preferred not to prescribe them. And the first reason is an anxiety, a fear that the patient's situation will deteriorate and that there will be complications, "explains Dominique Monnet, in charge of this issue at the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). ) in Stockholm.
But the problem is also in the hospital: 60% of the deaths related to this resistance are due to infections contracted in the hospital. However, simple actions would be sufficient to prevent these infections, such as prescribing fewer antibiotics, isolating infected patients, but also perfect hand hygiene that is not yet routine in all hospitals.
► See also: Antibiotics: overconsumption threatens global health