A Ghana Young Academy study has shown that Amoxycillin and Amoxyclav are the most widely used antibiotics by female SHS students for management of common illnesses.
Antibiotics are drugs used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infection. They may work by killing bacteria or preventing them from reproducing.
The study found that the students use these drugs to treat common colds. Common colds are caused by viruses which are not responsive to antibiotics. A CDC study has shown that giving antibiotics for routine upper respiratory infections increases susceptibility to an aggressive antibiotic-resistant strain of the bacteria commonly known as Clostridium difficile which may cause antibiotic-resistant diarrhoea. This is a potentially fatal form of diarrhoea.
The joint study by the Ghana Young Academy and the West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, however, found penicillin use to be low.
Researchers set out to establish the knowledge and pattern of use of antibiotics among females in second-cycle institutions in the management of vaginal infections. Vaginal infections were found to be the third most common condition treated with antibiotics.
328 students between ages 14 and 21 in 12 schools in Ashanti, Greater Accra and Northern Regions were interviewed. The questionnaire collected information on common conditions treated with antibiotics, knowledge of antibiotic resistance and self-medication.
The study found that 79.5 per cent of students interviewed have used antibiotics within the past year. Even though 34.76 per cent of the students have used antibiotics once within the year, a significant 27.74 per cent have used it monthly.
Our intestines contain roughly 100 trillion bacteria of various strains. Some disease-causing (known as pathogenic), others not. Normal bacteria, known as gut flora, support immunity and proper digestion. There is a natural balance between normal gut bacteria and pathogenic bacteria in the gut. This balance can be upset by exposure to antibiotics leading to
- More pathogenic bacteria flourishing, diminishing the number of normal gut bacteria.
- Normal gut bacteria harbouring antibiotic resistance genes for up to two years after treatment, even with short courses of antibiotics.
- An increase in the chances of resistance genes being passed on to pathogenic bacteria and aiding their survival through a process called horizontal gene transfer.
Pathogenic bacteria flourishing and diminishing number of normal gut bacteria is very common when antibiotics classified as broad-spectrum antibiotics are used. Examples include amoxycillin and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, which are the two most commonly used antibiotics among the students.
Almost 50 per cent of the students were unaware that failure to complete a dose of antibiotics can lead to development of antibiotic resistance while 40 per cent believed that there was nothing wrong with passing on unfinished antibiotics to a friend or family member.
Most students said they used antibiotics on the recommendation of health workers but a significant number (32.62 per cent) took their antibiotic recommendations from parents who were not necessarily health workers. Parents therefore have an important role to play in antibiotic stewardship.
This study shows that education on responsible use of antibiotics needs to be done early with the younger generation.This may helpbreak the cycle of patient misuse of antibiotics.
Reference:
- Jernberg, S. Lofmark, C. Edlund and J. K. Jansson. Long-term impacts of antibiotic exposure on the human intestinal microbiota. Microbiology, 2010; 156: 3216-3223
Acknowledgements:
- Ghana Young Academy
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), UG
- Africa Hall, KNUST
- Ghana Pharmaceutical Students’ Association, KNUST
- DELTAS Graduate Interns (2017)
- Dr. Priscilla Kolibea Mante, Dr. Edmund Ekuadzi, Dr. Marian Asantewah Nkansah, Dr. Patrick Arthur.