(MENAFN- AzerNews) New evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows theextensive overuse of antibiotics during COVID-19 pandemicworldwide, which may have exacerbated "silent" spread ofantimicrobial resistance (AMR), Azernews reportsciting to the official website of the organization.
While only 8% of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 hadbacterial co-infections requiring antibiotics, three out of four orsome 75% of patients have been treated with antibiotics 'just incase' they help. Antibiotic use ranged from 33% for patients in theWestern Pacific Region, to 83% in the Eastern Mediterranean and theAfrican Regions. Between 2020 and 2022, prescriptions decreasedover time in Europe and the Americas, while they increased inAfrica.
Highest rate of antibiotic use was seen among patients withsevere or critical COVID-19, with a global average of 81%. In mildor moderate cases, there was a considerable variation acrossregions, with the highest use in the African Region (79%).
WHO classifies antibiotics as per AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve)classification, according to the risk of AMR. Concerningly, thestudy found that 'Watch' antibiotics with higher resistancepotential were most frequently prescribed globally.
“When a patient requires antibiotics, the benefits oftenoutweigh the risks associated with side effects or antibioticresistance. However, when they are unnecessary, they offer nobenefit while posing risks, and their use contributes to theemergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance,” said Dr SilviaBertagnolio, WHO Unit Head for Surveillance, Evidence andLaboratory Strengthening, Division for AMR.
“These data call for improvements in the rational use ofantibiotics to minimize unnecessary negative consequences forpatients and populations.”
Overall, antibiotic use did not improve clinical outcomes forpatients with COVID-19. But rather, it might create harm for peoplewithout bacterial infection, compared to those not receivingantibiotics. This underscores the urgent need to improve therational use of antibiotics to minimize unnecessary negativeconsequences for both patients and populations.
A systematic evidence synthesis and appraisal will complementthis work to inform upcoming WHO recommendations on antibiotic usein patients with COVID-19, as part of the guidelines for theclinical management of COVID-19.
These findings are based on data from the WHO Global ClinicalPlatform for COVID-19, a repository of standardizedindividual-level, anonymized clinical data from patientshospitalized with COVID-19. Data was collected from some 450 000patients admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 in 65 countries over a3-year period between January 2020 to March 2023. The findings arebeing presented in a WHO scientific poster shared at the ESCMIDGlobal Congress, taking place in Barcelona, Spain on 27-30April.
“These findings underscore the important need to adequatelyresource the efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing globally,and are particularly relevant to discuss ahead of the upcoming UNGeneral Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR to take place thisSeptember,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-Generalfor AMR.
The UN High-Level meeting on AMR will bring together globalleaders to commit to mitigating AMR across human health, animalhealth, agri-food sectors and the environment, and to promotepolitical leadership, financing and actions to slow the emergenceand spread of AMR.
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