Find
out more about the broad range of issues associated with
antimicrobial resistance
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General
Information about Antibiotic Resistance
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Frequently Asked Questions about
Antibiotic Resistance
What are bacteria and
viruses?
Bacteria are single-celled organisms usually found all over the inside
and outside of our bodies, except in the blood and spinal fluid. Many
bacteria are not harmful. In fact, some are actually beneficial. However,
disease-causing bacteria trigger illnesses, such as strep throat and some
ear infections. Viruses are even smaller than bacteria. A virus cannot
survive outside the body's cells. It causes illnesses by invading healthy
cells and reproducing.
What kinds of infections are caused by viruses
and should not be treated with antibiotics?
- Colds
- Flu
- Most coughs and bronchitis
- Sore throats (except for those resulting from strep throat)
How do I know when an illness is caused by a
viral or bacterial infection?
Sometimes it is very hard to tell. Consult with your doctor to be sure.
When do I need to take antibiotics?
Antibiotics are very powerful medications. They should only be used when
prescribed by a doctor to treat bacterial infections.
Do I need an antibiotic when mucus from the
nose changes to yellow or green?
Yellow or green mucus does not indicate a bacterial infection. It is normal
for the mucus to get thick and change color during a viral cold.
Should I ask my doctor to prescribe antibiotics?
Talk to your doctor about the best treatment. You should not expect to
get a prescription for antibiotics. If you have a viral infection, antibiotics
will not cure it, help you feel better, or prevent someone else from getting
your virus.
What is antibiotic resistance and why should
I be concerned?
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in a way that reduces
or eliminates the effectiveness of antibiotics. These resistant bacteria
survive and multiply - causing more harm, such as a longer illness, more
doctor visits, and a need for more expensive and toxic antibiotics. Resistant
bacteria may even cause death.
What can I do to avoid antibiotic-resistant
infections?
Start by talking with your health care provider about antibiotic resistance.
- Ask whether an antibiotic is likely to be effective in treating your
illness.
- Do not demand an antibiotic when your health care provider determines
one is not appropriate.
- Ask what else you can do to help relieve your symptoms.
What can I do to protect my child from antibiotic-resistant
bacteria?
Use antibiotics only when your doctor has determined that they are likely
to be effective. Antibiotics will not cure most colds, coughs, sore throats,
or runny noses. Children fight off colds on their own.
If mucus from the nose changes from clear to
yellow or green, does this mean that my child needs an antibiotic?
Yellow or green mucus does not mean that your child has a bacterial infection.
It is normal for the mucus to get thick and change color during a viral
cold.
Does this mean that I should never give my child
antibiotics?
Antibiotics are very powerful medicines and should only be used to treat
bacterial infections. If an antibiotic is prescribed, make sure you take
the entire course and never save the medication for later use.
How do I know if my child has a viral or bacterial
infection?
Ask your doctor. If you think that your child might need treatment, you
should contact your doctor. But remember, colds are caused by viruses
and should not be treated with antibiotics.
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Facts About Antibiotic Resistance
- Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world's most pressing
public health problems.
- The number of bacteria resistant to antibiotics has increased in the
last decade. Nearly all significant bacterial infections in the world
are becoming resistant to the most commonly prescribed antibiotic treatments.
- 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.
- Misuse of antibiotics jeopardizes the usefulness of essential drugs.
Decreasing inappropriate antibiotic use is the best way to control resistance.
- Children are of particular concern because they have the highest rates
of antibiotic use. They also have the highest rate of infections caused
by antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
- Parent pressure makes a difference. For pediatric care, a recent study
showed that doctors prescribe antibiotics 65% of the time if they perceive
parents expect them; and 12% of the time if they feel parents do not
expect them.
- 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 cause death.
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How You Can Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance
- Do not take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold, a cough
or the flu.
- Take an antibiotic exactly as the doctor tells you. Do not skip doses.
Complete the prescribed course of treatment, even if you are feeling
better.
- Do not save any antibiotics for the next time you get sick. Discard
any leftover medication once you have completed your prescribed course
of treatment.
- 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.
- Antibiotic prescriptions in outpatient settings can be reduced dramatically
- without adversely affecting patient health - by not prescribing antibiotics
for viral illnesses, such as colds, most sore throats, coughs, bronchitis,
and the flu.
- Parents should not demand antibiotics when a health care provider
has determined they are not needed.
- Parents should talk with their health care provider about antibiotic
resistance.
- Parents should not give their children antibiotics for a viral infection
like a cold, a cough, or the flu. Antibiotics should be used only to
treat bacterial infections.
- Parents should ensure that their children take all medication as prescribed,
even if symptoms disappear. If treatment stops too soon, some bacteria
may survive and re-infect.
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A Prescription for Parents: Five Hints to
Understanding Antibiotic Usage
When are antibiotics necessary? Your doctor can best answer this complicated
question and the answer depends on the diagnosis. Here are a few examples:
- Ear infections: There are several types; many need antibiotics, but
some do not.
- Sinus infections: Most children with thick or green mucus do not have
sinus infections. Antibiotics are needed for some long-lasting or severe
cases.
- Cough or bronchitis: Children rarely need antibiotics for bronchitis.
- Sore throat: Viruses cause most cases. Only one major kind, "strep
throat," requires antibiotics. This condition must be diagnosed
by a laboratory test.
- Colds: Colds are caused by viruses and may last for two weeks or longer.
Antibiotics have no effect on colds, but your doctor may have suggestions
for obtaining comfort while the illness runs its course.
It is worth noting that viral infections sometimes lead to bacterial
infections. But treating viral infections with antibiotics will not prevent
bacterial infections and may trigger infections with resistant bacteria.
Keep your doctor informed if the illness gets worse, or lasts a long time,
so that the proper treatment can be given as needed.
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Fluid in the Middle Ear: Tips for Parents
A doctor said your child has fluid in the middle ear, also called otitis
(oh-TIE-Tus) media with effusion (uh-FEW-zhun) (OME). Fluid usually does
not bother children and it almost always goes away on its own. This does
not have to be treated with antibiotics, unless it lasts for a few months.
Here are some facts about OME and ear infections.
What are the main kinds of ear infections?
- Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) is an infection of the ear canal that
can be painful and is treated with eardrops.
- A middle ear infection, which a doctor might call "acute otitis
media" (AOM), may cause ear pain, fever, or an inflamed eardrum,
and is often treated with oral antibiotics.
What causes OME?
Fluid may build up in the middle ear for two reasons. When a child has
a cold, the middle ear makes fluid just as the nose does - it just doesn't
run out as easily from the middle ear. After a middle ear infection, fluid
may take a month or longer to go away.
Are antibiotics ever needed for OME?
Sometimes antibiotics may be needed if the fluid is still present after
a few months and is causing decreased hearing in both ears. For this reason,
your child will need an ear check in a few months. If there is still fluid
in the middle ear, your child may need a hearing test.
What should I do?
- The best treatment is to wait and watch your child. Since fluid in
the middle ear rarely bothers children, it is best to let it go away
on its own. Right now, your child might not need antibiotics.
- You may need to schedule a visit to see the doctor again in a few
months to be sure the fluid is gone.
Why not try antibiotics now?
Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can be harmful. Each time
people take antibiotics, they are more likely to carry resistant germs
in their noses and throats. Common antibiotics cannot kill these resistant
germs. Your child may need antibiotics that are more costly, given by
a needle, and/or administered in the hospital. Since OME will almost always
get better on its own, it is better to wait and take antibiotics only
when they are needed.
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A Child's Runny Nose: Tips for Parents
Your child has a runny nose. This is a normal part of what happens during
the common cold and as it gets better. Here are some facts about colds
and runny noses.
What causes a runny nose during a cold?
When germs that cause colds first infect the nose and sinuses, the nose
makes clear mucus. This helps wash the germs from the nose and sinuses.
After two or three days, the body's immune cells fight back, changing
the mucus to a white or yellow color. As the bacteria that live in the
nose grow back, they may also be found in the mucus, which changes the
mucus to a greenish color. This is normal and does not mean your child
needs antibiotics.
What should I do?
- The best treatment is to wait and watch your child. Runny nose, cough,
and symptoms like fever, headache, and muscle aches may be bothersome,
but antibiotics will not make them go away any faster.
- Some people find that using a cool mist vaporizer or saltwater nose
drops makes their child feel better.
Are antibiotics ever needed for a runny nose?
Antibiotics are needed only if your doctor tells you that your child has
sinusitis. Your child's doctor may prescribe other medicine or give you
tips to help with a cold's other symptoms like fever and cough, but antibiotics
are not needed to treat the runny nose.
Why not try antibiotics now?
Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can be harmful. Each time
people take antibiotics, they are more likely to carry resistant germs.
Your child may need antibiotics that are more costly, given by a needle,
and/or administered in the hospital. Since a runny nose almost always
gets better on its own, it is better to wait and take antibiotics only
when they are needed.
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Cold and Flu Season: No Reason for Antibiotics
Colds, flu, and most sore throats and bronchitis are caused by viruses.
Antibiotics do not help fight viruses. And they may do more harm than
good: taking antibiotics when they are not needed - and cannot treat the
illness - increases the risk of a resistant infection later.
Antibiotics Are Not for Colds and Flu
- Most infections are caused by two main types of germs - bacteria and
viruses.
- Bacteria are organisms found almost anywhere, except normally
sterile sites,
such as the blood stream and spinal fluid. A few bacteria, known
as pathogens,
can cause diseases in humans, animals, and plants.
- Viruses are organisms that cause disease by invading healthy host
cells. As
virus particles multiply, the host cells burst, allowing the viruses
to infect other
cells.
- Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses.
- Antibiotics will not cure upper respiratory viral illnesses, such
as:
- Colds or flu
- Most coughs and bronchitis
- Sore throats not caused by strep
- Runny noses
- Tens of millions of antibiotics prescribed in doctor's offices each
year are for viral infections, which cannot effectively be treated with
antibiotics. Doctors cite diagnostic uncertainty, time pressure on physicians,
and patient demand as the primary reasons why antibiotics are over-prescribed.
- Taking antibiotics for viral infections - such as a cold, cough, the
flu and most bronchitis - will not:
- Cure the infections
- Keep other individuals from catching the illness
- Help a person fell better
- Taking antibiotics for viral infections will increase the risk of
antibiotic resistance.
- The spread of viral infections can be reduced through frequent hand
washing and by avoiding close contact with others.
What To Do For Colds and Flu
- Children and adults with viral infections recover when the illness
has run its course. Colds caused by viruses last for two weeks or longer.
- Measures that can help a person with a cold or flu feel better:
- Increase fluid intake
- Use a cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray to relieve congestion
- Soothe throat with ice chips, sore throat spray, or lozenges (do
not give lozenges
to young children)
- Viral infections sometimes lead to bacterial infections. Patients
should keep their doctor informed if their illness gets worse or lasts
a long time.
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