Contents:
- Medical Video: Drug-Resistant TB: A Slow and Painful Process
- The duration of TB treatment does not always cause antibiotic resistance
- Why do people with TB have to continue taking medication?
Medical Video: Drug-Resistant TB: A Slow and Painful Process
In cases such as tuberculosis (TB), the doctor may recommend that the patient take antibiotics for a long time. Unmitigated, people who have TB can even be prescribed antibiotics more than one type. Well, this is what then raises the question, are people who have TB at high risk of experiencing antibiotic resistance? Find out the answers in this article.
The duration of TB treatment does not always cause antibiotic resistance
Treatment of TB takes a long time because the nature of the infection is easily transmitted and quite serious. Well, this is what ultimately triggers fears that people with TB are susceptible to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a state in whichbacteria actually adapt to drugs and become more difficult to kill.
Dr. Anis Karuniawati Ph.D., Sp.MK (K), a teaching staff at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, spoke about this issue. Met by the Hello Sehat team on Thursday (11/15) at the University of Indonesia Hospital, Depok, dr. Anis said that not always antibiotics consumed in the long term can cause bacteria to become resistant.
"Hopefully it doesn't, because there are other reasons why a drug should be given for a long time," said Dr. Anis.
Furthermore, Dr. Anis explained that TB bacteria are different from other bacteria. In general, the bacteria that causes TB takes around 24 hours to multiply into two parts. The rapid growth of bacteria is one reason TB treatment must be given long-term.
"If then the TB bacteria become resistant after treatment, that is the cause not because of the length of treatment. Maybe there are other things that could be the cause, "added Dr. Anis Karuniawati Ph.D., Sp.MK (K) who also served as Secretary of the Committee for Antimicrobial Resistance Control (KPRA) and the central management of the Indonesian Clinical Microbiology Association (PMKI).
Why do people with TB have to continue taking medication?
Research shows that new TB bacteria will die completely after 6 months of treatment according to the doctor's recommended dose.
In the first two months of treatment, patients will generally feel that their condition has improved. In fact, there is also a patient who claims he is no longer suffering from tuberculosis because he looks fit. In fact, TB bacteria are still alive and settled in their bodies. Yes, bacteria that remain in the body are generally inactive, aka "falling asleep".
Well, if you neglect taking medication, the bacteria that "fall asleep" will wake up and get stronger so that your condition worsens again. Even worse, TB bacteria will become immune to antibiotic drugs that you have taken. This is what is called antibiotic resistance.
Usually drug resistance is caused by people who are sick with tuberculosis not taking medication according to what the doctor prescribes, for example a messy medication schedule. This is what causes tuberculosis to be very difficult to treat so that it requires a longer time which is at least 12 months, even up to 24 months.
