ICMR Guidelines Recommend Avoiding Antibiotics For Low-Grade Fever, Viral Bronchitis

Indians have been using antibiotics to treat various diseases, ailments and infections – often without consulting a healthcare professional. Studies have shown that frequent use of antibiotics affects the susceptibility of the patient, increasing resistance to anti-microbials.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in a survey conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2021, found that a large number of patients were no longer benefitting from the use of certain antibiotics as they have developed anti-microbial resistance to them.

Consequently, ICMR published updated recommendations for the use of antibiotics in India on Saturday. It has warned against the use of antibiotics for conditions such as mild fever or viral bronchitis and has also asked doctors to follow a timeline while prescribing the antibiotics.

Senior researchers at ICMR said that the most recent guidelines, titled "Treatment Guidelines for Antimicrobial Use in Common Syndromes," are an updated version of the 2017 National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR).

India's Growing Resistance To Antibiotics

The new guidelines, according to scientists, were especially crucial in the post-Covid-19 context because of the unrestricted use of antimicrobials. Covid-19 displayed a markedly increased level of resistance to numerous essential antibiotics and antifungals, according to experts.

The ICMR conducted a multi-center survey to determine the nationwide trend in antibiotic resistance. It showed Acinetobacter baumannii, a gram-negative bacteria causing infection in the urinary tract and lungs, among other body parts, was resistant to high-end antibiotics.

According to the survey, 87.5% of the samples of Acinetobacter baumannii tested in 2021 were resistant to carbapenems, restricting the treatment options for those suffering from the infection caused by the bacteria, The Times of India reported.

AMR or Antimicrobial Resistance makes infections hard to treat and increases the risk of disease spread, doctors suggest. AMR occurs naturally when bacteria, fungi, and viruses evolve and stop responding to medicines. However, misuse and incorrect usage of drugs can fasten the process, say scientists.

How To Prevent Dependency on Antibiotics?

Since antibiotics may not treat all infections, overuse of these drugs is one of India's leading causes of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to medical professionals.

Dr. Rajitha, as reported by The Hindu, said, "As for health workers if they think that a patient might need antibiotics, wherever possible, they should test and confirm which one they might need. Today, even parents are getting antibiotics for their children for flu or cold, which is not at all advisable."

With an estimated 5%–10% yearly growth, reports suggest that India is among the countries having the highest rates of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance reportedly caused the deaths of almost 1.3 million individuals in 2019.

ICMR suggested doctors avoid prescribing antibiotics for low-grade fever and viral bronchitis. The guidelines also added that a stop date should be recorded to ensure that antibiotics are not continued beyond the recommended duration. Antibiotics should be prescribed for a duration of five days for skin and soft tissue infections, five days in case of community-acquired pneumonia, and eight days for hospital-acquired pneumonia, NDTV reported.

A research study from a team of Boston University from the USA and the Public Health Foundation of India gathered data. It revealed that in terms of absolute volume, India is the largest consumer of antibiotics globally. They also added that studies from India had reported poor prescription quality without evidence of bacterial infection.

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