Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health

Summary

This narrative review synthesises evidence on the negative impacts of antibiotic use on human gut microbiota composition and function, examining mechanisms including reduced microbial diversity, altered microbial functionality, and promotion of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The authors discuss how these microbiota-level changes compromise host health and contribute to the global antibiotic resistance crisis, and propose alternative therapeutic approaches to conventional antibiotic use.

Regional applicability

The review addresses antibiotic resistance and microbiota disruption as global health concerns, with findings applicable to United Kingdom clinical practice and public health policy. The discussion of alternative approaches to antibiotic use may be particularly relevant for UK antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

Key measures

Microbial diversity, microbial composition changes, functional attributes of microbiota, antibiotic-resistant strain formation, susceptibility to Clostridioides difficile infection

Outcomes reported

The review examined how antibiotics perturb gut microbial composition and diversity, and the resulting adverse health consequences including increased susceptibility to pathogenic infection and antibiotic resistance selection.

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