The Northern Rivers Times
February 3, 2022
62 HEALTH
!"#$%&'()(*+,-(%.$$ '/"+%0"1'(*2$',$$ 3(4/'$210"+-142 Researchers from Monash University have discovered a potential new way to prevent antibiotic resistance and reduce antibiotic intake. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared antimicrobial resistance to be among the top 10 global public health threats. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) change over time and no longer respond to medicines, consequently infections become increasingly The study, ‘A Polytherapy based approach to combat antimicrobial resistance using cu-
bosomes’, published in Nature Communications, has found that the use of nanoparticles in combination with other antibiimprove bacterial killing. The paper makes an important new contribution
resistant bacteria. in how we deliver medicine and how the medicine we take impacts us in the future,” says lead researcher Dr Hsin-Hui Shen. Dr Shen, of the Monash University Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
and Professor Jian Li of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Department of Microbiology, have demonstrated that nanoparticle-based polytherapy treatments disrupt the outer membrane of superbug bacalternative to the conventional use of loading the antibiotic within lipid nanoparticles. “When bacteria becomes resistant, the original antibiotics can no longer kill them. Instead of looking for new antibiotics to counteract superbugs, we can use the nanotechnology approach to reduce the dose of antibiotic -
tidrug-resistant organisms,” says Dr Shen. that no new antibiotic has been discovered in the past 30 years, but globally there’s a crisis of antibiotics resistance which means that in the coming years, more people will die from basic infections because they have developed antimicrobial resistance. The WHO says the cost of antimicrobial resistance to the bials, the success of modern medicine in treating infections, including during major surgery and cancer chemotherapy, would be at increased risk.
“For a long time nanoparcally as antimicrobial carriers, but the use of nanoparticles in polytherapy treatments with antibiotics in order to overcome antimicrobial resistance has been overlooked,” says Dr Shen. “The use of nanoparticles-antibiotics combination therapy could reduce the dose intake in the human body and overcome the multidrug resistance.”
!"#"$%&'()*++(,-)( .%-/%"##(0-(0'"( 0"#0*,/(.'$#"1
Australia’s private hospitals essential to manage elective surgery surge Australia’s private hospitals will be essential to addressing the backlog of necessary elective surgery when restrictions ease, new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals. The new data shows the median wait time for elective surgery has increased by a week, from 41 days pre COVID (2018-19) to 48 days in 2020-21. This is largely because restrictions on elective surgery meant many cases were deferred. Australian Private Hospitals Associa-
Active Denture Clinic “Cosmetic Denture Centre”
Oscar Bakos
Dental Prosthetist
• Elegant Denture Design Solutions • Award Winning Clinic • Titanium Implant Denture Systems
PH: 66227794 LISMORE 26 Uralba Street (opposite Lismore Square) www.cosmeticteeth.com.au
is a very big increase in waiting times. “When you look at surgeries by category, the increases in median wait time are even more significant. Those waiting for head !"#$%&'())*#+),* and neck surgery -(..*#/.,*0#1)234 now wait 516#7"89 !!!"#$%$&'()*+,-.%"%)/"01 112 days, up from 84 preCOVID,
BOWEN THERAPY !"#$"%&! GENTLE, SAFE & VERY EFFECTIVE PAIN RELIEF
For all your aches, pains, strains and migraines THINK BOWEN THERAPY (THE AUSSIE THERAPY)
Practicing Bowen Therapy for the past 27 years
LISMORE
23 McIntosh Rd, Goonellabah 6624 4424 (Every Tuesday)
CASINO
Shop 8, Kwong Sings Arcade 6662 2829 (Every Thursday)
+,&--./&.---
!"#$%&'&()*&&
while ophthalmology patients wait 118 days rather than 73, an increase of six and a half weeks,” he said. While the rise in public hospital elective admissions from a COVID-induced low in 2019-20 is good news, additional widespread restrictions after the period covered by the report means waiting times for surgery will now be even longer. “This data illustrates the essential role private hospitals will need to play in helping Australians get the vital surgery they need. Just as private hospitals have helped the public system with the pandemic response, they will be essential to clearing the surgical backlog post-pandemic. “Without private hospitals picking up the slack, Australians will be waiting a great deal longer to have their surgery – often important for quality of life, like cataract surgery to correct impaired vision or joint replacements to remove pain and improve mobility.” elective surgery should not last one day longer than they need to. “With signs the Omicron wave is plateauing in several states, health departments need to consult with private hospitals about easing restrictions in a safe way, so hospitals are ready to increase surgical capacity to provide much-needed treatment to those Australians who have had surgery deferred.
