Woman develops resistance to 15 drugs, doctors alarmed
The Hindu
Number of people with multi-drug resistance on the rise, say specialists
A few doctors here faced a unique situation a couple of days ago after coming across a 75-year-old female patient who has developed resistance to as many as 15 antibiotics! The list includes three drugs in reserve category. However, specialists say that it is not an isolated case. Doctors heading Intensive Care Units (ICUs) say they are increasingly coming across such patients, which is alarming. Given the situation, finding the next antibiotic which could work on such patients is proving to be a challenge.
Head of Critical Care Division at Continental Hospitals, Palepu Gopal says a large number of COVID-19 patients who died did not succumb to the infection itself. “The reason for their deaths was multidrug-resistant secondary infections. They were resistant to all kinds of antibiotics,” he explains.