The Case Against Indiscriminate Antibiotic Use
The following information from the U.S. government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers helpful information on when to use antibiotics for childhood infections. The CDC started the Get Smart campaign to help inform consumers about the best way to use both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. We want Americans to keep their families and communities healthy by getting smart about the proper use of antibiotics, says Dr. Richard Besser, medical director of the CDC's Get Smart campaign.
Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world's most pressing public health problems. It can cause significant danger and suffering for people who have common infections that once were easily treatable with antibiotics. When antibiotics fail to work, the consequences are longer-lasting illnesses, more doctor visits or extended hospital stays, and the need for more expensive and toxic medications. Some resistant infections can cause death.
Sick individuals aren't the only people who can suffer the consequences. Families and entire communities feel the impact when disease-causing germs become resistant to antibiotics. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria can quickly spread to family members, school mates and co-workers threatening the community with a new strain of infectious disease that is more difficult to cure and more expensive to treat.
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Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses such as:
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Taking antibiotics for viral infections, such as a cold, cough, the flu or most bronchitis, will not:
Do not demand antibiotics when a doctor says they are not needed. They will not help treat your infection. When you are prescribed an antibiotic, do not skip doses.
Do not save any antibiotics for the next time you get sick.
Do not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else. The antibiotic may not be appropriate for your illness. Taking the wrong medicine may delay correct treatment and allow bacteria to multiply. Talk with your healthcare provider about antibiotic resistance.
When you are prescribed an antibiotic, take it exactly as the doctor tells you. Complete the prescribed course even if you are feeling better. If treatment stops too soon, some bacteria may survive and re-infect you. This goes for children, too. Make sure your children take all medication as prescribed, even if they feel better.
Throw away any leftover medication once you have completed your prescription.
Do not take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold, a cough or the flu.
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