In 1927 Alexander Fleming revolutionized the healthcare industry by discovering the antibiotic called penicillin. An antimicrobial, penicillin was then touted as the wonder drug for every ailment. Today antibiotics are still widely given, even when the illness does not call for its use for treatment. Antibiotics, by definition, kill bacteria. They will not work on viral infections such as colds and flu, some ear infections, most coughs like bronchitis, and sore throats (with the exception of the very bacteria based strep throat).
What is Antibiotic Resistance
When a strain of bacteria is resistant to the effects of antibiotics, it is called antibiotic resistant. The bacteria are strong and unresponsive, and will change to defy the healing effects of the antibiotic. This leads to super strains that will need different lines of defense than the usual course of treatment. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in Atlanta, GA, people do not become resistant; it is the bacteria themselves that become resistant. “Antibiotic resistance can cause significant danger and suffering for children and adults who have common infections, once easily treatable with antibiotics. Microbes can develop resistance to specific medicines.”
Preventing Antibiotic Resistance
There are some simple ways to prevent antibiotic resistant that everyone can do.
- Do not take antibiotics for a viral infection. Ask the healthcare provider if the infection is bacteria or viral based and do not insist on an antibiotic if it is not bacteria. If it is bacteria based, ask for a 48 hour growth culture to make sure that the antibiotic that they would prescribe is actually the antibiotic that will kill the bacteria growth. This extra two days can help insure proper medication for the condition.
- Never take left over medication. Always finish an antibiotic to the last dose without skipping a dose or stopping the medication at the first sign of feeling better. A full course of treatment is needed to stop the bacteria growth.
- Do not take someone else’s antibiotic. Firstly, they should be taking it to the last dose anyhow. Secondly, not every antibiotic is a line of treatment to every bacteria and their prescription may not be the antibiotic that will work for the bacteria in the infection in question.
Simple guidelines such as making sure it is bacteria based and finishing all the medication that is explicitly prescribed for the patient are key factors to keeping the spread of super strains and antibiotic resistance at a lower number.
From the CDC: Antibiotic Resistance FAQs
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