Resistance to Carbapenam [Last resort antibiotics] growing in India – ICMR study:

 ICMR [Indian Council for Medical Research] opinion on Superbugs

• In 2017, nearly 80% E.coli and Klebsiella Pneumonia infections in tertiary care hospitals responded well to Carbapenam antibiotic treatment.
• But In 2023, response to carbapenam reduced and these bacteria become superbug.
• ICMR has found the abuse of antimicrobials (antibiotics, antivirals or antifungals) to be the reason for this, which is says has led to widespread resistance among people.
• India faces a “pandemic” of superbugs, the country’s top public health experts have warned, as resistance to common antibiotics has jumped by 10 per cent in just one year
• The resistance level is increasing to five to ten per cent every year for broad spectrum antimicrobials, which are highly misused.

What is Carbapenam?

Carbapenems are a subclass of antibiotics called beta-lactam antibiotics (antibiotics that have a chemical structure called a beta-lactam ring). Beta-lactam antibiotics also include cephalosporins, monobactams, and penicillins.

Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antibiotics. That is, they are effective against many types of bacteria, including bacteria that are resistant to many other antibiotics.

Carbapenems include the following:

Doripenem

Ertapenem

Imipenem

Meropenem