Children and young people should be taught simple hygiene measures to help curb the spread of infections, says NICE
Young people living away from home for the first time, such as when starting University, should be given information on how to care for themselves when they get sick, the guideline says.
NICE says that it is important for young people to have the information they need to recognise when their infection can be managed safely at home and, if not, where to seek help.
They should not be given antimicrobials for an infection that will resolve itself over time, for example a common cold, or simple cough, the guideline says.
Taking antimicrobials when they cannot fight an infection is known to contribute to the development of drug resistance. The guideline says antimicrobial medicines should only be used when necessary.
Protecting our antimicrobials
Antimicrobial resistance develops when the medicines are used inappropriately.
Having better awareness of when an antimicrobial medicine will help treat an illness and when it will not, will reduce the number of people asking for these medicines inappropriately. And this will help some doctors who feel pressured to prescribe them when they are not needed.
People who are unsure whether they need antimicrobials or not should be directed to 111, the NHS Choices website or local pharmacies, the NICE guidance says.
"There are already common infections that are resistant to antimicrobials. Without sustained changes to the way we manage infections and protect these medicines, some routine medical procedures will become fatal.
“Education is key to this issue, and that’s why we’ve made recommendations for a whole range of ages.”
Global estimates suggest that every year more than 700,000 people die from drug-resistant strains of common bacterial and viral infections, HIV, TB and malaria.
If antimicrobial resistance continues to increase, this number could rise to 10 million a year by 2050, with people dying from common infections, or from routine operations due to the risk of infection.
This guidance published by NICE aims to support NHS organisations, local authorities, and health and social care professionals to provide accurate information to people in their care.
The recommendations include telling patients that they should not buy prescription-only antimicrobials online, share them with others or use them as preventive measure against becoming ill on holiday.
NICE also says that any leftover antimicrobial medicine should not be kept for use at another time or disposed of by flushing it down the sink or toilet. Medicines can be taken to pharmacies where they can be disposed of safely.
“If antimicrobial resistance continues to increase, the consequences will be disastrous. It isn’t a problem we can tackle in isolation.
“This is why our final guideline emphasises the need for a multi-pronged approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance. We must work together to fight this threat.”
"We need to address the growing problem of drug-resistant infections as the global medicine cabinet is becoming increasingly bare.
"Preventing infections in the first place is key, and so is education on how to use antibiotics appropriately. This guidance provides important information on how we can keep these important medicines working."
