• The global crisis of antimicrobial resistance, A Review
  • parvin mohammadshafiei,1,*
    1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Kazeroun, Iran


  • Introduction: Antibiotics, either are cytotoxic or cytostatic to the bacteria and other microorganisms, allowing the body’s natural defenses, to eliminate them. They often act by inhibiting the synthesis of a bacterial cell, synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, proteins, by a membrane disorganizing an agent, or other specific actions. Also, antibiotics can enter the cell walls by binding to the cell walls of bacteria (using energy transfer mechanisms in ribosomal sites) and lead to the inhibition of protein synthesis. Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to public health that causes unfavorable effects clinical and economic effects. Antibiotic resistance develops in a short time and is a worrying crisis. With the improvement of technology, more people are now aware of the ill-effects caused by resistance to the available drugs, however, very few take pro-active steps to curb the resistance by not over using the antibiotics. In the developing world, almost all the antibiotics are available over the counter and can be bought without any medical prescription which is one of the most important factors in causing the resistance. Human behavior governs the speed and extent at which antimicrobial resistance arises and develops, thus appropriate antimicrobial stewardship incorporating a ‘One Health’ approach is required to help manage the problem. Therefore, if the resistance to the antibiotics needs to be curbed, the only way shall be to educate the patients and the general public. Researches about the resistance of microbes to antibiotics and the ineffectiveness of emerging antibiotics have been started in the world and Iran for years. These surveys indicate the need for more research in this field.
  • Methods: This study is reviewing data accumulated from literature and prestigious case studies which are in connection with our subject. The search words were: antibiotic resistance,” “Antibiotics,” “Antibacterial,” using PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases. Furthermore, manual searches of other relevant journals and keywords searches were performed. We have focused on published papers from 2010 to 2022.
  • Results: Many solutions have been reported to prevent antibiotic resistance. One of the basic and effective solutions to deal with the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is to prevent the lateral transfer of genes, which can easily prevent the transfer of bacteria between people and accelerate this process by observing personal hygiene. Also, in the investigations that have been done in hospitals to prevent broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance. Respecting the health of patients, changing the strategy of antibiotic use, completing the course of antibiotic use and creating sterile conditions in the departments where patients are hospitalized for a long time, as well as preventing the use of antibiotics and prescribing them when necessary are among the main and important solutions. Which play a key role in preventing infections caused by emerging antibiotics.
  • Conclusion: Antibiotic resistance is a challenge facing today and future generations, and with the passage of time, this concern is felt more than before. Antibiotic resistance is increasing in humans, animals and agriculture, despite measures taken by some WHO member countries. The cost of treatment in infection control as well as the lack of response to treatment in the health care sector (due to long stays in hospitals and isolation wards, and strict measures) have become a major challenge. The World Health Organization should establish a coordinated system with continuous review of mandatory reports (for antibiotic resistance) at the national and international levels. Both domestic and global policies need to be conventional and adhered to stop the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
  • Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, Antibiotics, bacterial resistance