In brief
Pte Oleksander Bezverkhny's harrowing experience in Ukraine's war highlights the urgent crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Despite medical efforts to save him from severe infections after multiple amputations and five instances of sepsis, doctors find themselves battling a surge in AMR cases fueled by the ongoing conflict and overwhelmed medical facilities.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to a significant rise in dangerous drug-resistant infections, complicating the treatment of wounded soldiers. Pte Oleksander Bezverkhny, who was severely injured in combat, faced a dire ordeal when he was rushed to the Feofaniya Hospital in Kyiv. Following critical abdominal injuries and subsequent amputations of both legs, he contracted infections resistant to standard antibiotics, leading to five life-threatening bouts of sepsis.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global issue, accounting for approximately 1.4 million deaths worldwide linked to drug-resistant infections in 2021. In the UK, serious cases of antibiotic resistance reached 66,730 in 2023. In Ukraine, however, the ongoing conflict has worsened the situation, with medical facilities registering a sharp increase in AMR cases. At Feofaniya Hospital, over 80% of patients are afflicted with infections caused by resistant microbes, according to Dr. Andriy Strokan, the hospital's deputy chief physician.Medical facilities are struggling to manage strict hygiene protocols amidst overwhelming numbers of war casualties. Dr. Volodymyr Dubyna, head of the intensive care unit at Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro, noted that bed capacity has expanded from 16 to 50 since the onset of the Russian invasion. With many medical staff either joining the military or fleeing the war, remaining personnel are often overburdened—one nurse may be responsible for 15-20 patients, making it challenging to adhere to stringent cleanliness protocols.Compounding the problem, injured soldiers frequently move through multiple healthcare facilities, each harboring different strains of AMR, which accelerates infection spread. Pte Bezverkhny was transferred between three different medical centers before arriving at Feofaniya, complicating his treatment and worsening his condition.The crisis in Ukraine starkly contrasts with other recent conflicts like Afghanistan, where wounded soldiers would typically be stabilized and directly transferred to European clinics. The sheer volume of patients in Ukraine, akin to historic wartime crises, leaves hospitals with little capacity to isolate infected individuals, allowing multi-resistant bacteria to flourish.Medical professionals face the difficult task of managing life-threatening infections with limited treatment options. As doctors resort to costly "reserve" antibiotics sourced from volunteers abroad to combat these infections, they also grapple with the long-term consequences of over-prescribing these critical medications, which can expedite bacterial adaptation and increase resistance.Despite these formidable challenges, Pte Bezverkhny has survived after over 100 operations and a year in the hospital. His story underscores the ongoing difficulty facing medical teams as they endeavor to save lives amid the escalating threat of drug-resistant pathogens in Ukraine.
