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Antibiotic Resistance
The Story: The battle against bacteria is a difficult one, wrought with difficulty as these organisms rapidly develop resistance to conventional antibiotics. To fight this antibiotic resistance, a team from McMaster University decided to leverage a powerful tool in their arsenal of antibiotic discovery, artificial intelligence.
Antibiotics and Resistance:
Humans are inconceivably outnumbered by bacteria, but fortunately there is a defense! Antibiotics are specialized compounds that are used for their ability to stop bacterial growth. Since bacteria are such rapidly growing organisms, they are able to quickly develop resistance to antibiotics, making diseases harder to treat and more deadly. The CDC has designated antibiotic resistance as a major threat to human health, with an estimated 4.95 million deaths associated with these resistant bacteria. Why might that be?
Acinetobacter Baumannii:
It is because in the case of an infection brought on by a resistant strain of bacteria, finding an antibiotic becomes a difficult task. Such is the case of Acinetobacter baumannii, a microbe which is resistant to multiple different antibiotics. It is precisely this resistance which makes Acinetobacter baumannii infections so difficult to treat. Antibiotic resistance is leading to increased mortality, and higher costs worldwide. A research group from McMaster University has used artificial intelligence to develop a novel antibiotic, called abaucin. By employing artificial intelligence to screen over 7,000 potential molecules for an anti-microbial effect against Acinetobacter baumannii, the researchers were able to identify a compound that showed an antibiotic effect in a mouse model of a wound infected with Acinetobacter baumannii. To prevent bacteria from becoming resistant, one important intervention is to follow the instructions prescribed by a clinician when prescribing antibiotics. While patients continue to follow those instructions, we will look towards researchers and artificial intelligence for potential solutions to this conundrum of antibiotic resistance.
Beating Bug Bites
Melissa Gilbert, an actress known for her role in “Little House on the Prairie”, recently experienced a common summertime plight, with a not-so-common effect. A bug bite, what many consider an innocuous summer phenomenon, led to an emergency room visit and overnight hospitalization for Melissa Gilbert.
Gilbert was diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the deeper layers of the skin. Cellulitis is often accompanied by pain, warmth, and redness, and is treated using antibiotics. In order to minimize one’s risk of cellulitis, it is important to avoid wounds to the skin. Unfortunately, during the summer, insects are in full force, and insect bites are virtually unavoidable. In this case, cleaning any bug bites or skin injuries with soap and water, as well as an antibiotic ointment, will help to minimize cellulitis risk. Luckily, in Melissa Gilbert’s case, a night of antibiotics and ER care has set her on course towards what we hope is a speedy and full recovery.
Although it may seem similar, this extreme reaction is drastically different from the normal physiological response to insect bites. While we don’t know what kind of insect bit Gilbert, we do know that these summer months are when ticks emerge and start to bite. Given the importance of being outside during the summer months, it is important to stay safe from ticks and tick-borne diseases. One such disease is Lyme disease, a disease experienced by up to 476,000 Americans each year. Senator Chuck Schumer has recently announced a “War on Ticks”, consisting of $160 million to ensure the eventual eradication of tick-related diseases like Lyme disease, which will look to educate the public and fund research to put an end to these preventable tick-related diseases
Canada’s Cigarette Crackdown
In an unprecedented move, Canada is now requiring health warnings to be printed on individual cigarettes. Warnings were printed on the packaging of cigarettes, but now each individual cigarette will carry a stark warning to consumers about the risks of smoking. The idea behind this new rule, is to help reduce nationwide tobacco use to under 5% by 2035.
Now it is very difficult to deny that smoking is very detrimental to one’s health, so why is it still an issue? Part of the reason is because chronic cigarette use creates an addiction. In fact, there is evidence that industry sponsored warnings do not stimulate smoking cessation, likely due to the addictive potential of nicotine, a constituent of cigarettes. Nicotine binds to various brain regions to stimulate the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in signalling pleasure or rewards. Because of this, when nicotine induces a release of dopamine, it is perceived as a rush of pleasure in the brain. At that point, if someone decides to quit, they may encounter a constellation of negative symptoms, known as nicotine withdrawal, in part due to the immediate removal of dopamine.
Given the long list of conditions for which smoking is a known risk factor, it is of paramount importance that smoking cessation is initiated when possible. Treatments to assist with smoking cessation include nicotine replacement therapies, such as nicotine gum or patches, as well as medications to help mitigate the effects of withdrawal, and allow for effective smoking cessation. Many celebrities, including former US President Barack Obama, have leveraged these treatments to make smoking cessation more effective.
Canada isn’t the only country focusing on reducing smoking rates. As part of their anti-smoking campaign, New Zealand has outlined new rules to curb smoking in their youth. This includes a ban on disposable vapes, due to the increased prevalence in youth using vapes in New Zealand.
AED Aid
After Damar Hamlin’s life was saved following on-field CPR, the entire football world has been cognizant of the importance of CPR. Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator Raheem Morris certainly paid attention, as he rushed to find an AED when he was confronted with a three-year old who had been drowning in a pool. Morris was able to locate an AED and assist a doctor on scene, which ultimately resulted in the child being discharged from the hospital a day later.
An AED is an automated external defibrillator, with the main advantage of an AED being that it can be used effectively by bystanders with little to no formal medical training. This is because many AEDs are equipped with voice commands, which tell the bystander what buttons to press to initiate the required responses.
And its not just football, sudden cardiac events are present in many sports. During a recreational hockey game in late March, Brandon Miller experienced a frightening cardiac incident which left him unconscious on the ice. One of the players was a physician, and with the help of others, they were able to begin CPR on Miller, until he was eventually transported to the hospital and treated. June 12th represents 2 years following Christian Eriksen’s on-field cardiac arrest at the Euro 2020 cup. He received on-field CPR and was brought to the hospital, where he recovered enough to continue playing professional soccer, which he continues today.
After his incident, Damar Hamlin has embarked on a tour to raise awareness for CPR, highlighting the importance of CPR in sports. This tour begins in Buffalo, with stops in cities across the USA, where Hamlin will be distributing AEDs to sports teams, and youth groups. In partnership with his organization, the Chasing M’s Foundation, Hamlin has distributed over 50 AEDs to sports teams and community groups in Buffalo, and is now moving forward to other cities to raise awareness for CPR, and contribute to equipping groups with tools needed to ensure safety of youth.
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