Antibiotic Education Program
Medical providers have prescribed antibiotics for years—and with good reason. These medicines treat and fight bacterial infections, which occur frequently. However, when people misuse antibiotics, they drive an increase in antibiotic resistance. Keep reading to learn why providers don’t always prescribe antibiotics as the best solution.
What are antibiotics used for?
Antibiotic Facts
Antibiotics are medicines that fight infections caused by bacteria in humans. They work by killing harmful bacteria or preventing them from multiplying and spreading.
Doctors commonly prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial infections such as strep throat, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and whooping cough. They also use them for serious, life-threatening conditions when bacteria are the cause. Examples include sepsis, which occurs when the body has an extreme response to infection, and pneumonia, a severe lung infection.
Since their introduction in the 1940s, antibiotics have saved countless lives and greatly reduced illness and deaths from infectious diseases. However, antibiotics are not always the right solution. In some cases—such as viral infections like colds or the flu—antibiotics offer no benefit and may even contribute to antibiotic resistance if used inappropriately.
What is antibiotic resistance?
When providers overprescribe antibiotics or patients fail to follow instructions, bacteria can develop resistance. In these cases, the bacteria survive despite the drugs designed to kill them and continue to grow and spread. This resistance makes infections harder to treat and limits the effectiveness of future treatments. Globally, antibiotic resistance contributes to an estimated 1.27 million deaths each year.
What is antibiotic stewardship?
Here are a few facts from the CDC: Be Antibiotics Aware
1. Antibiotics can save lives, but being sick doesn’t mean you need them.
2. Taking antibiotics when they aren’t needed could have harmful side effects.
3. Antibiotics do not work against viruses like colds, flu, runny nose, or bronchitis.
4. Respiratory infections caused by a virus usually go away in two weeks without treatment.
5. Ask your primary healthcare professional for recommendations to feel better while fighting a virus
6. Antibiotics can create resistance in bacteria. Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed.
7. Taking antibiotics incorrectly increases the chances that bacteria will become resistant to the antibiotic.
For more information on antibiotic prescribing and use, please visit the CDC.
