Superbugs threaten hospitals as antibiotic resistance rises: PGI study
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Chandigarh: What if a simple cut or common infection turns deadly because our usual medicines no longer work? That's the scary reality of "superbugs" —bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics due to overuse.
A study led by doctors at PGIMER, Chandigarh, shows this problem is widespread in Indian hospitals, calling for urgent changes to how we use these life-saving drugs.
The research looked at eight major hospitals across India: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Gorakhpur; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raebareli; and Government Medical College, Baroda, with the central coordinating site being PGIMER, Chandigarh.
The study, 'Antimicrobial Prescription Patterns in Tertiary Care Centres in India: A Multicentric Point Prevalence Survey', was conducted under the Society of Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices in India (SASPI). Led by Dr Nusrat Shafiq from PGIMER's clinical pharmacology unit – the central coordinating site – the survey analysed data from 3,974 patients.
PGI was the nodal centre led by Dr Shafiq, the lead researcher from PGIMER.
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About 60% hospital patients were taking antibiotics. That's six out of every 10 people in the wards getting these drugs, often in intensive care units, revealed the study.
Common antibiotics included ceftriaxone and metronidazole. Over half were from the 'Watch' group – stronger drugs the World Health Organization (WHO) says should be used carefully because they can speed up resistance. A small but worrying 5% were 'Reserve' drugs, like last-resort options for superbugs.
Almost half the prescriptions were 'empiric', meaning doctors started them without laboratory tests to confirm the infection type. This is common when quick action is needed, but it can lead to unnecessary use. Many were for everyday infections caught outside the hospital (31%) or to prevent issues during surgery (31%). Hospital-caught infections made up 13% for the total infections, which is better than past studies but still a big concern.
In some cases, up to half of the prescriptions were "irrational" – like giving drugs for too long or in the wrong dose. There were also "redundant" combos, where patients got extra drugs that didn't add much benefit but raised resistance risks. Common culprits were bacteria like E. coli and Acinetobacter, often in patients with long hospital stays or medical devices.
Older hospitals like PGIMER, which handle more serious cases from referrals, used stronger drugs more often. These places see patients with weakened immune systems, such as those with cancer or transplants, making superbugs a bigger threat.
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