8% of bacterial infections treated appropriately

ONLY 8% of the bacterial infections reported in India in 2019 were treated appropriately, reveals a latest analysis of low- and middle-income countries.

- Kavita Bajeli-Datt @New Delhi

The data, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, show that in 2019, nearly 15 lakh bacterial infections were resistant to carbapenems—a common antibiotic agent commonly used for treatment of severe bacterial infections in eight countries where the study was conducted.

Carbapenems are used for treating severe infections like those acquired from being in hospitals, where antibiotic-resistant bacteria are abundant.

The study—held in eight countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mexico—revealed that of the 15 lakh bacterial infections reported, only over a lakh treatment courses were procured.