Terry Kruger
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 27/00) - In a world filled with billions of tiny microbes, what really bugs Dr. Jim Hutchinson is the overuse of antibiotics.

Hutchinson, a Newfoundland doctor and university professor, is a leading Canadian and international expert on the rise of so-called "superbugs" -- antibiotic resistant bacteria -- and part of a growing movement to raise awareness of the threat among health officials and the general public.

The campaign came to the North last week with a series of lectures to medical staff from around the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Nurses from around the NWT gathered in Yellowknife to attend a workshop and the tele-health network was used to beam another session to medical professionals in Fort Smith, Inuvik and Iqaluit.

"While it may not be a tremendously large issue locally yet, we're in prevention mode," explained Brad Colpitts, the president of the NWT/Nunavut branch of the Canadian Public Health Association.

While there is only a handful of cases of people infected with these superbugs seen in the North, Hutchinson says it's important to recognize this is more than just a local health issue. It is an international one.

"If we consume lots of antibiotics, the problems will be reaped by our neighbours and sons and daughters," said Hutchinson.

It's only since the 1940s that antibiotics have been widely available and have been hailed as miracle drugs. Used to treat everything from serious infections to the common cold and other respiratory tract infections, the widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in common bacteria developing resistance to one or even many kinds of antibiotics.

These superbugs, known by acronyms like MRSA and VRE, can pose serious health threats.

Hutchinson considers the growing number of resistant bacteria to be "sentinels" of a potential for larger problems in the future.

He prefers to avoid "scare mongering" when talking about the problem, taking a low-key approach, simply encouraging the public and health practitioners to cut back on use of antibiotics.

Explained Hutchinson, "We have been using antibiotics badly. We need to be considerably more conservative."

He estimates that 75 per cent of the antibiotics prescribed in Canada are for colds and other respiratory tract infections.

"I was seeing kids six years old who had 60 prescriptions for antibiotics in their lifetime," said Hutchinson.

That situation has to change.

A big part of the problem, said Colpitts, who represents the Canadian Public Health Association on a national committee addressing the situation, is that when people go to a doctor, they want medicine to deal with their ailment.

"They want a pill. They want medicine," he said.

Instead, people have to learn to not pressure physicians into prescribing antibiotics for illnesses that don't require them.

"We need a cultural change in Canada to become a country of conservative antibiotics users," explained Hutchinson.

As well, he says doctors and hospitals have to be aware of the amount of antibiotics they use. Between 85-90 per cent of prescriptions come from physicians and the rest is used in hospitals.

Hutchinson warned that people should not place too much faith in medical research coming up with newer, stronger antibiotics.

"At the moment, there's not a lot in the pipeline and I know the pipeline," said Hutchinson.

Colpitts added that there are potential savings beyond preserving the medical arsenal. Reduce the use of antibiotics and you can save the health system time and money, he said.

What You Can Do

- Do not demand antibiotics from your physician.

- When given antibiotics, take them exactly as prescribed and complete the full course of treatment; do not hoard pills for later use or share leftover antibiotics.

- Wash your hands properly to reduce the chance of getting sick and spreading infection.

- Wash fruits and vegetable thoroughly; avoid raw eggs and undercooked meat, especially in ground form.

- Use soaps and other products with antibacterial chemicals only when protecting a sick person whose defences are weakened.