Milan, November 22 (Adnkronos Health) – “Infection from resistant bacteria turns an already complicated clinical picture into a potentially fatal situation, because when antibiotics no longer work, we are out of weapons.” This is the warning conveyed by Giulia Carla Marchetti, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Milan and director of the structure of complex infectious diseases Santi Paolo e Carlo Asst, on the occasion of the week dedicated to antimicrobial resistance, which draws attention to the daily management of vulnerable patients exposed to microorganisms that are currently insensitive to the available treatments.
According to the expert, resistant infections mainly affect the elderly or those already hospitalized for another disease: “They appear as a serious event that adds to an already challenging condition. If the germs are resistant, the prognosis becomes uncertain because antibiotics are a blunt weapon. In the case of pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infections, or sepsis, the risk of an unfavorable outcome increases rapidly.”
Vaccine prevention plays a much more important role than is generally thought. “There is a link between vaccines and antimicrobial resistance,” he said. “And the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted this clearly. Bacterial vaccines, such as those against pneumococcus – the main cause of pneumonia – offer immediate protection. But vaccines against viruses such as influenza, Covid or respiratory syncytial virus also reduce the risk of bacterial superinfection, which often requires antibiotics and can involve resistant germs.”
Apart from prevention, the correct use of antibiotics remains a pillar of the fight against resistance. “Antibiotics are not a joke, they are very valuable drugs – the infectious disease specialist underlines – They should only be used under medical indications.
Among the most relevant innovations, Marchetti cites the introduction of a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), “a widespread virus that can cause pneumonia and serious infections, especially in newborns and the elderly.” Two vaccines have been approved by Aifa, the Italian Medicines Agency: “They are safe, have high efficacy in preventing serious diseases and another is indicated during pregnancy, to protect the newborn from birth through maternal antibodies”.
RSV prevention will also have an impact on antimicrobial resistance: “Reducing hospitalisations, complications and super infections – the expert concludes – means reducing the use of antibiotics and thereby slowing the development of new resistance. This is a benefit for each patient and for the entire community.”
