New Delhi, Nov 18 (NationPress) Over 80 percent of Indian patients harbor multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), marking the highest rate in the world, according to a concerning study released on Tuesday that underscores the serious antibiotic resistance crisis in the nation.

The extensive international research, published in the Lancet eClinical Medicine journal, highlighted that India is at the forefront of a superbug crisis, with many patients carrying several highly resistant organisms at once.

This study was unveiled on the inaugural day of the WHO’s World AMR Awareness Week (November 18-24), emphasizing the urgent need for policy reforms and a national initiative on antibiotic stewardship.

Conducted across multiple centers, the study examined over 1,200 patients from India, Italy, the Netherlands, and the US, all undergoing a standard endoscopic procedure.

In India, 83 percent of patients were found to have MDROs, significantly surpassing the rates in Italy (31.5 percent), the US (20.1 percent), and the Netherlands (10.8 percent).

The study identified that among Indian participants, 70.2 percent had ESBL-producing organisms, rendering common antibiotics ineffective, while an alarming 23.5 percent carried carbapenem-resistant bacteria, which resist even last-resort antibiotics. CPE was nearly absent in the Netherlands and remained rare in the US.

Factors contributing to the heightened prevalence of MDROs included chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure, recent penicillin usage, and frequent hospital visits or previous procedures.

The presence of MDROs compels hospitals to resort to more potent and toxic medications, lengthens recovery times, heightens the risk of complications, and results in markedly increased treatment costs, as noted by researchers from AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad.

With approximately 58,000 newborn deaths annually in India linked to resistant infections and the frequent occurrence of untreatable bacteria in ICUs and cancer centers, the study delivers clear evidence that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has escalated into a national health crisis, according to the researchers.

To combat AMR, they urged healthcare professionals and the public to use and prescribe antibiotics judiciously to ensure their continued efficacy.

Additionally, regulating the sale of prescription-only medications, performing routine pre-procedural screenings, and utilizing single-use devices for high-risk patients to prevent transmission could significantly aid in addressing the AMR challenge.