4 ms·

For which many bacteria are already becoming resistant to, thanks to overuse or misuse. Please explain how you'll handle infection by a resistant strain.

RobertRoberts 8y ago
A quick look online showed me that there are 2 kinds of gangrene (which I didn't know until today). One kind is caused by alcohol abuse, tobacco use and diabetes, (or frostbite, trauma, etc..) all treatable with life style changes (according to healthcare in other countries, not in necessarily in the US) The other kind is "caused by infection", so you seem to be misunderstanding what gangrene is. It's a symptom/end result from something else. It seems once it's gets to gangrene the flesh is already dead, so removal is the only option, not antibiotics. It's too late for that.
- GenericsMotors 8y ago
  Replace gangrene with whatever bacterial infection you want. You've been infected with an antibiotic resistant strain - of tuberculosis for example. Please explain how you'll resolve the situation. Note that I'm not arguing lifestyle changes aren't important; I agree with parts of your other comments on that issue. I just don't understand why you think that pursuing other research avenues into defeating antibiotic resistant bacteria, that can cause a resurgence in plagues that were previously under control, is a bad or unimportant thing. I'd very much like to not go back to the days when people died from Consumption left and right.
  - RobertRoberts 8y ago
    Gangrene isn't an infection [0] tuberculosis (consumption) is caused by a virus and isn't cured by antibiotics.[1] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangrene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangrene [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Prevention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Prevention
    - shdon 8y ago
      Ehm, the Wikipedia article you link to for Tuberculosis directly contradicts your statement. Some quotes from that very page: "Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)." "Treatment of TB uses antibiotics to kill the bacteria."
      - RobertRoberts 8y ago
        I misunderstood the article (I did not read it thoroughly). I jumped to a conclusion in haste.
    - adrianN 8y ago
      > The main cause of TB is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), a small, aerobic, nonmotile bacillus. You also evade the point that many people used to die from infections that can now be cured by antibiotics and for which we have no backup plan once the bacteria have evolved resistance.
      - RobertRoberts 8y ago
        You are bringing up one of the biggest holes in modern understanding of history, lack of data. For example, tuberculosis was on the decline for a very, very long time before any medical solution was found, and it was nearly irradiated before there was a vaccine. [0] The vaccine had almost no effect on TB's decline in society. This graph is nearly identical to all diseases that I looked up. Good housing, nutrition, cleanliness are the biggest cures for disease. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tuberculosis_in_the_USA_1861-2014.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tuberculosis_in_the_USA_1...
    - DanBC 8y ago
      neither of the links you supply support your point. > Gangrene is caused by a critically insufficient blood supply (e.g., peripheral vascular disease) or infection.
      - 8y ago

RobertRoberts 8y ago

A quick look online showed me that there are 2 kinds of gangrene (which I didn't know until today). One kind is caused by alcohol abuse, tobacco use and diabetes, (or frostbite, trauma, etc..) all treatable with life style changes (according to healthcare in other countries, not in necessarily in the US) The other kind is "caused by infection", so you seem to be misunderstanding what gangrene is. It's a symptom/end result from something else. It seems once it's gets to gangrene the flesh is already dead, so removal is the only option, not antibiotics. It's too late for that.

GenericsMotors 8y ago
Replace gangrene with whatever bacterial infection you want. You've been infected with an antibiotic resistant strain - of tuberculosis for example. Please explain how you'll resolve the situation. Note that I'm not arguing lifestyle changes aren't important; I agree with parts of your other comments on that issue. I just don't understand why you think that pursuing other research avenues into defeating antibiotic resistant bacteria, that can cause a resurgence in plagues that were previously under control, is a bad or unimportant thing. I'd very much like to not go back to the days when people died from Consumption left and right.
- RobertRoberts 8y ago
  Gangrene isn't an infection [0] tuberculosis (consumption) is caused by a virus and isn't cured by antibiotics.[1] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangrene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangrene [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Prevention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Prevention
  - shdon 8y ago
    Ehm, the Wikipedia article you link to for Tuberculosis directly contradicts your statement. Some quotes from that very page: "Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)." "Treatment of TB uses antibiotics to kill the bacteria."
    - RobertRoberts 8y ago
      I misunderstood the article (I did not read it thoroughly). I jumped to a conclusion in haste.
  - adrianN 8y ago
    > The main cause of TB is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), a small, aerobic, nonmotile bacillus. You also evade the point that many people used to die from infections that can now be cured by antibiotics and for which we have no backup plan once the bacteria have evolved resistance.
    - RobertRoberts 8y ago
      You are bringing up one of the biggest holes in modern understanding of history, lack of data. For example, tuberculosis was on the decline for a very, very long time before any medical solution was found, and it was nearly irradiated before there was a vaccine. [0] The vaccine had almost no effect on TB's decline in society. This graph is nearly identical to all diseases that I looked up. Good housing, nutrition, cleanliness are the biggest cures for disease. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tuberculosis_in_the_USA_1861-2014.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tuberculosis_in_the_USA_1...
  - DanBC 8y ago
    neither of the links you supply support your point. > Gangrene is caused by a critically insufficient blood supply (e.g., peripheral vascular disease) or infection.
    - 8y ago