According to a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Poland significantly overuses antibiotics compared to other EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries.
While the EU/EEA average is 16.4 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants, Poland averages 22 doses, the report says.
This widespread and improper use of antibiotics is leading to antibiotic resistance, which is responsible for 2 million deaths globally each year, the OECD said in its report, which it compiled in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the European Food Safety Authority, and the European Medicines Agency.
Experts warn that if the pharmaceutical industry does not adapt to the mutating bacteria, this number could surge to 10 million annual deaths by 2050.
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The Polish Dental Society admitted in 2019 that "antibiotics are highly overused in dentistry, and the rapidly increasing bacterial resistance to these drugs implicates dental practitioners as co-contributors to one of the most significant problems in modern medicine."
The society's Working Group on Antibiotic Stewardship in Dentistry emphasizes that proper oral hygiene and adherence to surgical asepsis and antisepsis are crucial in preventing infections during dental procedures, rather than relying on antibiotics.
The National Health Fund reports that the direct annual costs of extended hospital stays due to infections are estimated at about PLN 800 million (approximately USD 200 million).
The Polish Dental Society recommends focusing on preventive care and local treatments for existing infections to mitigate this issue.
Antibiotics are justified in specific dental scenarios to manage and prevent serious infections. They are necessary in treating abscesses accompanied by fever, acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis or periodontitis, and osteomyelitis of the jawbones.
Antibiotics are also crucial during certain dental procedures, such as bone grafts combined with implant placements.
Additionally, they are recommended for injuries caused by dirty objects and for tooth damages, such as during the replantation of a knocked-out permanent tooth.
Preventative use is also advised for patients with compromised immune systems, where the risk of infection is significantly heightened.
(rt/gs)
Source: zdrowie.pap.pl
