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HOW TO DETERMINE PCV (PACKED CELL VOLUME)

The Packed Cell Volume (PCV) Test 1. Objective: This is one of the oldest tests done in medical practice. The objective of this test was to determine the percentage of red blood cells (RBCs) in whole blood. It  also helped to assess the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen. ________________________________________ 2. Principle: The test was based on the principle that when blood was centrifuged, the red blood cells settled at the bottom of the tube, forming a packed column. The ratio of the packed RBC column to the total blood column gave the packed cell volume (PCV), expressed as a percentage. ________________________________________ 3. Materials: • Microhematocrit capillary tubes • Microhematocrit centrifuge • Plasticine or sealing clay • Microhematocrit reader • Lancet • Alcohol swab • Cotton ________________________________________ 4. Procedure (Microhematocrit Method): 1. The fingertip was cleaned with an alcohol swab and pricked with a sterile lancet. 2. Blood was collected into ...
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PHAGE THERAPY; A RENEWED APPROACH TO COMBAT ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

PHAGE THERAPY; A RENEWED APPROACH TO COMBAT ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE


Antimicrobial resistance as discussed in earlier write-ups is the situation where bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.


Picture of a bacteriophage attaching to bacteria cell.


As a subset; Antibiotic resistance refers to bacteria resisting antibiotics. 


Penicillin, the wonder drug of the early nineties (developed from P. rubens in 1928 by Alexander Fleming), quickly earned worldwide applause following its use in treating infections from injuries sustained in battle during the second world war.


It was said that infections had killed more soldiers at war than battle injuries. The discovery of penicillin decreased the death rate from bacterial pneumonia in soldiers from 18% to 1%. 


Then over the years–and of course–people turned to this 'miracle drug' as a sure cure to any symptom or disease without first consulting with their doctor or being sure of which infections they were treating. They just 'did it'–after all the symptoms they experienced subsided and they got better.


With the new trend gaining popularity, it should not come as a surprise that in 1945, Alexander Fleming in an interview with The New York Times, warned that misuse of the drug could result in selection for resistant bacteria. 


Guess he wasn't wrong after all, as a comprehensive analysis of the global impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) conducted by The new Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) estimates resistance itself caused 1.27 million deaths in 2019 - more deaths than HIV/AIDS or malaria - and that antimicrobial-resistant infection played a role in 4.95 million deaths.


And even more worrisome–yet still– is the existence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which is a group of Gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of Staphylococcus aureus.


And let's not forget that since the failure of the parent molecule–penicillin–owing to antimicrobial resistance, several other synthetic/semisynthetic 'versions' have been developed including methicillin.


MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It caused more than 100,000 deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance in 2019. Eventually, the dependence on methicillin has been largely shifted to vancomycin.


And the dependence keeps shifting from one medication to another to date.



WAY FORWARD; PHAGE THERAPY?


Bacteriophages or simply "phages" are viruses that specifically infect bacteria cells and destroy them.



Phage therapy is the use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. This could be used as an alternative to antibiotics when bacteria develop resistance. Phage therapy is applied in experimental and emergency cases–often as a last resort.


PHAGE THERAPY VS ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY.


In a study involving patients who were resistant to antibiotics, Intravenous viruses were used to target deadly bacteria and the results were a total reversal of life-threatening S. aureus and K. pneumonia infection.


John Haverty of Brownsville , was ready to have his leg amputated following 17 surgeries that failed to rid his leg of a stubborn infection–until phage therapy came through for him and he made full recovery.


According to the NCBI, phage therapy has been reported to be effective in treating staphylococcal lung infections, P. aeruginosa infections in cystic fibrosis patients, eye infections, neonatal sepsis, urinary tract infections, and surgical wound infections. 


One thing is clear–the effectiveness of antibiotics is waning and it's as if a new 'wonder drug' is needed to fill up the vacuum.


But then again– won't humans abuse phages the way they abuse antibiotics?



Would we keep losing countless lives to non-compliance with doctors' instructions and drug misuse?


Do we need to continue this way?


Although we have a sort of a "second chance" through the advent of phage therapy, it is pertinent we give up the habit of drug misuse and abuse and we might just have returned to the right track!


©️ PUBLIC HEALTH ORBITAL

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