Antibiotic resistance plagues over half the sepsis patients at Lucknow's KGMU

More than half the sepsis patients that are admitted for treatment to King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, have been found to be antibiotic resistant.

According to experts, this resistance is caused by overuse or misuse of antibiotics.

Head of the respiratory critical care department Prof Ved Prakash explained that sepsis or septicaemia, an infection in the blood, can lead to damage across multiple organs of the body.

Decreased blood pressure due to this can result in multi-organ failure and even death if antibiotics aren't used to arrest the infection quickly. "What is concerning is that (this much) antibiotic resistance is found in sepsis cases," he added.

Prof Ved Prakash said that out of over 2,000 ICU patients treated annually in his department, more than 1,000 have developed antibiotic resistance.

This resistance significantly increases their risk of contracting sepsis in the first place as well.

Highlighting the reason, he said, "People are indiscriminately using antibiotics for minor issues like colds and coughs, often without a doctor's prescription. This misuse of antibiotics is developing resistance."

This, in turn, allows antibiotic-resistant bacteria, viruses or fungi to thrive and to spread to others, particularly dangerous for individuals with weakened immune systems, including those having kidney or liver conditions, cancer sufferers and pregnant women.

Former head of the KGMU's respiratory medicine department Prof Rajendra Prasad stressed the need to curtail antibiotic misuse for the sake of future generations. He highlighted that among the 10–15 antibiotics commonly prescribed to ICU patients, only 2–3 are found to be effective these days, based on culture reports.

"This underscores the urgency of addressing antibiotic resistance," he added.