33% of sepsis deaths in India linked to antibiotic resistance crisis

A study by The Lancet revealed that over 39 million people worldwide could lose their lives to antibiotic-resistant infections in the next 25 years

Excessive and improper use of antibiotics is taking a significant toll on the health of Indians. A recent study published in The Lancet revealed that bacterial infections were responsible for 60 per cent of the 2.99 million sepsis-related deaths in the country in 2019.

Of these, around 1.04 million sepsis deaths (33.4 per cent) were associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with 290,000 deaths directly attributed to it. Sepsis occurs when the immune system responds dangerously to a bacterial infection, and without timely treatment, it can result in organ failure.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is already a significant global health issue and is expected to escalate in the coming years.

According to The Lancet, over 39 million people worldwide could lose their lives to antibiotic-resistant infections in the next 25 years. This report, derived from research by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, provides the first comprehensive analysis of AMR trends over time.

“Understanding how trends in AMR deaths have changed over time, and how they are likely to shift in future, is vital to make informed decisions to help save lives,” said study author Dr Mohsen Naghavi, Team Leader of the AMR Research Team at the Institute of Health Metrics (IHME), University of Washington, USA.

The study's estimates were based on data from 22 pathogens, 84 pathogen-drug pairings, and 11 types of infections, including bloodstream infections and meningitis, across people of all ages in 204 countries, including India.

In India, the three most prevalent antibiotic-resistant pathogens are e.coli, which is responsible for gut infections; klebsiella pneumoniae, known for causing pneumonia and urinary tract infections; and acinetobacter baumannii, primarily linked to infections acquired in hospitals.

Leading causes of deaths in India

The study reveals that lower respiratory and thoracic infections were the leading cause of sepsis-related deaths in India, accounting for about 27 per cent of the total.

In 2019, out of the 500,000 sepsis deaths among children under five, 325,000 were caused by bacterial infections, with streptococcus pneumoniae being the deadliest pathogen in this age group.

Globally, deaths due to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) saw a significant rise, doubling from 57,200 in 1990 to 130,000 in 2021. Among gram-negative bacteria, which are some of the most drug-resistant, resistance to carbapenems saw the sharpest increase, from 127,000 in 1990 to 216,000 in 2021.

(With agency inputs)