Antibiotic Resistance

Evolution

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:22:04 +0000

Forty or fifty years ago, thanks to antibiotics, scientists thought medicine had all but eradicated infectious agents as a major health threat. Instead, the past two decades have seen an alarming resurgence of infectious diseases and the appearance of new ones. All this is caused by a genetic mutation or evolution of a bacteria.

Fox News Reports on Antibiotic Resistance

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:08:32 +0000

Colds ands Flu

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:04:16 +0000

Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, like colds, flu, most sore throats and bronchitis, and some ear infections. Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter products may be your or your child’s best treatment option.

Full Focus News Cast

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:01:00 +0000

How many people does it affect?

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:59:19 +0000

In hospitals, 190 million doses of antibiotics are administered each day. Among non-hospitalized patients, more than 133 million courses of antibiotics are prescribed by doctors each year. It is estimated that 50 percent of these latter prescriptions are unnecessary since they are being prescribed for colds, coughs and other viral infections.

Critical Things to Remember

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:56:15 +0000

The following points are critical to remember when taking any antibiotic:

Take all the medication that your doctor has prescribed for the recommended length of time. Because antibiotics tend to work fairly rapidly, you may feel much better after taking only a few days’ worth of a prescribed seven-day course of antibiotics. Never stop taking the medication because you feel better. Taking the full prescribed course of antibiotics ensures that the infection is eradicated and won’t recur.

Because your doctor chooses antibiotics based upon your individual medical history along with the type of bacteria likely to be causing your infection, never assume that an antibiotic prescribed for someone else will be effective for you - never “borrow” antibiotics. Sharing any prescription medications is a dangerous practice and can even be deadly. Likewise, never “save up” antibiotics for your own later use.

Antibiotics generally work rapidly. Be sure to ask your doctor when to expect results and find out what you should do if you experience no improvement after a couple of days.

Antibiotics can cause a number of side effects. Nausea, diarrhea, and allergic reactions are some known side effects of antibiotics. Antibiotics also may kill naturally-occurring bacteria that protect the body from yeast infection, so yeast infections may occur while you are taking antibiotics. Be sure to ask your doctor what kind of side effects you may experience with a particular antibiotic. Always call your doctor if the side effects are severe or worrisome.

If your doctor directs you to stop taking an antibiotic or switch to a different antibiotic, properly dispose of all unused medication. Ask your pharmacist about take-back programs and places where you can return unused or expired medications for safe disposal. A person needing an antibiotic should be evaluated by a physician each time an antibiotic is needed - don’t save old antibiotics to treat future infections.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether or not you should take the medication with food and if you should change your habits during the course of treatment (for example, avoiding direct sunlight, not drinking alcohol or eating certain foods).

Be certain that you have a clear idea of the directions for taking an antibiotic. If you have questions, ask. For example, does “four times a day” mean every six hours even in the night, or just at meals and at bedtime?

Antibiotics 101

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:54:45 +0000

“Taking antibiotics when they are not really necessary will not speed your recovery and can even contribute to a problem known as antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance refers to the capacity of many bacteria to become resistant to a particular antibiotic so that it is no longer effective against these bacteria. It is known that the increasing use of antibiotics when they really aren’t needed has contributed to this problem and has led to the evolution of many bacterial strains that no longer respond to treatment with common antibiotics; a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance (medicinenet).”

Things that can help prevent resistance

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:49:46 +0000

When they dose a patient let the patient know the dose
Tell the patient to never overdose or under dose
Take antibiotics till the doctor says otherwise
Wash your hands
inform of possible side effects
keeping taking never stop until bottle is or container is empty
lastly pay attention to what the doctor says since they are trained to do this

Creative video for antibiotic resistance

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:36:20 +0000

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:31:56 +0000