Oral Surgery Emergencies

Why doctors prescribe antibiotics when not needed?

Why doctors prescribe antibiotics when not needed?

• What Doctors are not sure of the cause of the disease.
• have little time. They give
• the patient's request.

What should I do?

• not demand an antibiotic when your doctor says you do not need it.
• not take antibiotics for a virus (cold, cough or flu).
• Take your medicine exactly the way prescribed by your doctor. Do not miss any doses.
• not stop taking the medicine when you feel better. Take all doses.
• not take leftover medicine.
• not take someone else's medicine.
• not use antibacterial products (soaps, detergents and lotions). There is no evidence that these products really help.

Two main types of germs

Bacteria and viruses are the two main types of germs that cause most disease. Antibiotics can kill bacteria but do not work against viruses.

Viruses cause:

• Cough Colds Sore Throat
• flu and sinus problems
• Bronchitis Ear Infections

Bacteria live in drinking water, in food and soil. Live on plants, animals and people. Most of them do not hurt people. Some even help us digest food. But other bacteria cause bad diseases like tuberculosis and Lyme disease.

Does this affect me?

If you have a virus, taking antibiotics is not a good idea. Antibiotics will not work against viruses. The medicine will not help. You may even harm you. Every time a person takes an antibiotic increases the chances that bacteria in your body able to resist them. Later, it is possible that the person is very sick and in that case, finding the right treatment can become a problem.

What are the most common errors committed by patients?

• Patients ask for antibiotics they do not need. For example, ask for an antibiotic to treat a cold.
• do not take antibiotics as the doctor says. For example, stop taking the drug before all the pills. This may help the bacteria grow and become stronger.
• save antibiotics and take them on their own later.

What are you doing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the problem?

The FDA wants doctors to be more careful about giving antibiotics if necessary.

• The FDA will require new labeling for doctors.
• One direction of the new labels is that these drugs should be used only to treat infections caused by bacteria.
• Another label will ask doctors to explain to patients what is the proper way to use drugs.

Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics can save lives. But some germs get strong enough to withstand the effect of drugs. This is called resistance. The drugs do not work as well. Germs may pass on resistance to other germs.

Antibiotics normally work by killing germs called bacteria. Or they stop bacteria from growing. But it may also happen that not all germs stop growing or die. The strongest grow and spread. A person can get sick again and this time it will be harder to kill germs.

The more often a person uses an antibiotic, the more likely that germs become resistant. This can make some diseases very difficult to control. It is also possible that the person is sick a lot longer and have to go more times to see a doctor. It could even have to take even stronger drugs.

SOURCE: FDA