Acute Care: Injuries and Illnesses
ANTIBIOTICS
What is an antibiotic?
An antibiotic is a powerful medication designed to kill bacteria. These
drugs enable physicians to cure bacterial illnesses like ear infections
and strep throat.
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Can antibiotics be harmful?
Unnecessary antibiotics can be harmful. There are two main types of
germs that cause illness, viruses and bacteria. Antibiotics only fight
bacterial infections. Sometimes antibiotics are given unnecessarily for
infections that they will not help or cure. Antibiotics do nothing to
help viral illnesses like colds or influenza (flu). If you take an
antibiotic when it is not necessary, such as for a cold, you increase
the risk of developing an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant
bacteria.
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What are resistant bacteria?
Some bacteria are not killed by antibiotics. These bacteria are
considered to be "resistant" to the antibiotic. Resistant bacteria
emerge because of overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Once bacteria
develop resistance to antibiotic treatment, they can continue to live
and/or multiply even after an antibiotic is taken.
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What is an antibiotic-resistant infection?
An antibiotic-resistant infection is an infection that is difficult or
impossible to cure with antibiotics. Ear, sinus, throat, lungs, and
intestines are common sites for antibiotic-resistant infections. These
infections may be hard to treat, resulting in longer and more severe
illnesses. They may even need to be treated in the hospital.
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How will the doctor treat my infections if one
antibiotic does not work?
Your doctor may try higher doses of antibiotics, a different type of
antibiotic, or combinations of antibiotics, or may try to administer the
antibiotic in a different way (such as, through the vein).
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How do I catch an antibiotic-resistant
infection?
There are three ways in which you can get an antibiotic-resistant
infection:
- You can develop antibiotic-resistant infections when you take an
antibiotic. Bacteria that have been exposed to the antibiotic but have
developed ways to fight them survive. They then can multiply and begin
to cause symptoms. You also can transmit these resistant bacteria to
others and they too may become ill.
- You can catch antibiotic resistant-infections from people or objects
around you that are infected with resistant bacteria. Resistant bacteria
are frequently found among people in hospitals, nursing homes, or day
care centers. Not properly washing hands can increase your risk of
catching all kinds of infections.
- You can develop an antibiotic-resistant infection when the bacteria
inside your body exchange, share, or copy genes that allow them to
resist antibiotic treatment.
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How can I prevent antibiotic-resistant
infections?
You can do several things to prevent-antibiotic resistant infections in
yourself and others:
- Never take an antibiotic for a viral infection such as cold, cough,
or flu.
- Always wash your hands thoroughly.
- Always handle food correctly.
- Take an antibiotic exactly as the doctor prescribes.
- Take the antibiotic until it is gone, even if you are feeling
better. Never save the medication to treat yourself or others later.
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If I do not take action to avoid
antibiotic resistance, how am I affecting those around me?
If you do not take action to prevent resistance, you affect your
friends and loved ones. Research has shown that during and shortly after
the time a household member takes an antibiotic, others in the same
household have more resistant bacteria in their throat or on their skin.
Although these resistant bacteria may never cause symptoms, they could
cause infection or spread to others. Preventing resistance can have
larger effects as well. If everyone takes precautions against resistance
and uses antibiotics correctly, many antibiotics will continue to be
effective for many years.
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Will antibiotics be
completely ineffective someday?
It is unlikely that this will occur. However, there are now strains of
some bacteria (i.e., Enterococcus faecalis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
and Burkholderia cepacia) which are not treatable with any of the
routinely available antibiotics. Researchers will continue to make or
find stronger antibiotics, but bacteria will continue to find ways to
survive.
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Why would health care providers give
antibiotics if not needed?
Approximately one-third to one-half of all antibiotic prescriptions are
not needed. Many health care providers report feeling pressured by
worried parents or patients to prescribe antibiotics. Rather than take
the time to explain why an antibiotic isn’t needed, it may be easier to
write a prescription. They also may not be sure whether an infection is
caused by a bacterium or virus. In some cases, laboratory tests, such as
for strep throat, can be helpful, but again require extra time and
sometimes a second visit for the patient.
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If my doctor wants to give me an
antibiotic, what questions do I need to ask?
- Why do I (or my child) need an antibiotic?
- What is the name of the drug?
- How and when do I take it and for how long?
- Are there food, drinks, or activities I should avoid while taking
this medication?
- Does the medication cause side effects? What are they and how can I
prevent them?
- Can I take this medication safely while I am also taking another
prescription or non-prescription medicine?
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Do antibacterial products (such
as antibacterial soaps) fight infection better than ordinary soaps?
Except in health care settings, there is no evidence that the use of
antibacterial products prevent infection better than ordinary soap. Hand
washing with ordinary soap and water is sufficient to reduce the risk of
most common infections and does not add to antibiotic resistance.
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