Taking antibiotics to treat infections is becoming ineffective, leading to fatal outcomes. Although this may seem unusual, this phenomenon is currently occurring. In medical science, this condition is called drug resistance. According to a new study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), drug-resistant bacterial infections not only increase the risk of patient death but also make treatment more expensive.
This study was published in The Lancet Regional Health-South East Asia. It is based on data from 2022 to 2025 and covered approximately 160,000 patients. The results of this study showed that 61.1 percent of patients with infections were carbapenem-resistant, meaning carbapenem antibiotics had no effect on them. This problem arises from the unjustified use of antibiotics, which leads to the development of drug resistance. Since the drugs stop working, choosing an appropriate antibiotic becomes a difficult task, and the need for more expensive medications increases the financial burden.
Dr. Kamini Walia, a senior researcher at ICMR and author of the study, states that drug resistance is taking lives in India. She points out that one of the main reasons is the unnecessary use of antibiotics. When a person takes a large amount of antibiotics, bacteria are able to recognize them and become more resistant to them. As a result, even after taking the medication, the antibiotic does not have the desired effect, which complicates treatment and can sometimes lead to death. The solution to this problem is timely diagnosis and responsible use of antibiotics.
In cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, the mortality rate among patients with drug resistance was 31.2 percent, compared to 23.5 percent among patients with sensitive infections. The impact of drug-resistant infections affects not only the patient's health but also their finances. The study shows that patients who fall into this condition have to spend twice as much money. The cost of treating resistant infections was 1.1–2 times higher.
Dr. Kuldeep Singh from the Department of Medicine at GTB Hospital in Delhi explained that drug resistance complicates infection treatment and may require a long course of therapy. He also noted that many mistakes are made at home. People start taking medications on their own, sometimes take antibiotics unnecessarily or even for viral infections, and some stop the course of treatment before completion. All these factors contribute to the development of drug resistance.