We all are aware of the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in India. The blame for this doesn't entirely lie with doctors who rampantly prescribe them but also on people who simply refer to an old prescription or a friend to get immediate relief from something as basic as a cold. It's not surprising thus, India is the largest producer and consumer of antibiotics. The ultimate threat of antibiotics resistance is already rearing its ugly head with Indians reporting high levels of resistance to fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins and carbapernems. WHO states this resistance to antibiotics after its over use and abuse leads to 1.27 million deaths per year across the globe. So what's the general rule when it concerns antibiotics? Dr Neha Gupta, Consultant- Infectious Diseases, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram explains, "Our body gets infected due to several reasons. Drugs which act against bacterial infection are called antibiotics. These either kill or suppress the activity of bacteria and are also known as 'magic bullets'." The general rule when it comes to antibiotics use is 'to not take them without a proper diagnosis'. It should be taken only under a doctor's supervision.
Dr Neha adds, "Use of antibiotics depends on the cause of the infection and the bacteria that is responsible for it.
