5 Things: Being Smart about Antibiotics

It's cold, flu and infection season, a time when antibiotics are widely prescribed for all sorts of illnesses. However, The Centers for Disease Control say there are plenty of things people don't know about antibiotics. So it released the following "fast facts" via its website.

Usually, we list five things you need to know. But here are six, and they can be found here, along with more information from the CDC. 

1. Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world’s most pressing public health problems.
2. The number of bacteria resistant to antibiotics has increased in the last decade. Many bacterial infections are becoming resistant to the most commonly prescribed antibiotic treatments.
3. Every time a person takes antibiotics, sensitive bacteria are killed, but resistant germs may be left to grow and multiply. Repeated and improper uses of antibiotics are primary causes of the increase in drug-resistant bacteria.
4. Misuse of antibiotics jeopardizes the usefulness of essential drugs. Decreasing inappropriate antibiotic use is the best way to control resistance.
5. Children are of particular concern because they have the highest rates of antibiotic use.

Antibiotic resistance 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 even cause death.