Researchers from the Bellvitge Hospital in Barcelona have proven, with data from 1.9 million inhabitants, that on days when air pollution increases in Catalonia, more antibiotics are prescribed. The study is the first to link the two phenomena.
Based on data collected in the eleven most populated cities in Catalonia, the researchers observed that the main reason for prescribing antibiotics in primary care is acute respiratory infections, although in some cases the diagnosis ends up being “wrong” because it involves other diseases.
Using a comprehensive statistical analysis, the researchers found that days with higher levels of pollution increased antibiotic prescriptions. Air pollution and antibiotic resistance are two of the biggest public health challenges globally, causing more than 10 million deaths each year.
The study carried out by the IDIBELL Institute, the Bellvitge Hospital and the CIBERINFEC Center was published in the journal JAMA Network Open of the American Medical Association, EFE report.
For this study, the researchers collected daily data on air pollution indicators PM10, PM2.5 and NO2, and on antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory conditions in primary care centers in the 11 most populated Catalan cities, for 8 years.
According to the study’s leader, Jordi Carratalà, this relationship “could be caused by the fact that pollution irritates the respiratory tract and causes symptoms similar to those of an infection, in addition to facilitating a secondary bacterial infection that occurs while the immune system fights against the polluting particles.
The main reason for prescribing antibiotics in primary care is acute respiratory infections, although in some cases the diagnosis is misdiagnosed as viral infections or other conditions that would not require antibiotics.
Overuse or incorrect use of antibiotics eventually leads to the emergence of resistant bacteria that cause untreatable infections.
On the other hand, air pollution by PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 particles is a risk factor for diseases such as dementia, certain cancers and respiratory diseases.
This study, which covered approximately 1.9 million residents and more than 8 million primary care antibiotic prescriptions, represents a step forward in understanding the effects of air pollution on public health.
The findings add to the growing body of evidence on the need for more ambitious environmental policies aimed at improving air quality and reducing the burden of respiratory diseases, as well as the overuse of antibiotics, the study’s researchers say.
