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1. |
What is an antibiotic? |
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2. |
What are some common antibiotics? |
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3. |
Can antibiotics be harmful? |
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4. |
What are resistant bacteria? |
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5. |
What is an antibiotic-resistant
infection? |
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6. |
How will the doctor treat
my infections if one antibiotic does not work? |
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7. |
How do I catch an antibiotic-resistant
infection? |
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8. |
How can I prevent antibiotic-resistant
infections? |
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9. |
If I do not take action
to avoid antibiotic resistance, how am I affecting those around
me? |
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10. |
Will antibiotics be
completely ineffective some day? |
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11. |
Why would health care
providers give antibiotics if not needed? |
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12. |
If my doctor wants to
give me an antibiotic, what questions do I need to ask? |
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13. |
How can I prevent antibiotic-resistant
infections? |
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14. |
Do antibacterial products
(such as antibacterial soaps) fight infection better than ordinary
soaps? |
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What
is an antibiotic?
An antibiotic is a powerful medication designed to kill bacteria
or stop them from growing. They are most commonly prescribed
for illnesses caused by bacteria, like strep throat and ear infections.
They cannot cure illnesses caused by viruses, such as a cold
or the flu. Different antibiotics may be used for different types
of bacterial infections. Only your health care provider can determine
what infection you have and which antibiotic is appropriate to
treat it. |
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What
are some common antibiotics?
There are many forms of antibiotics,
each designed to work against a certain type bacteria.
Some common antibiotics include penicillins (such as amoxicillin),
fluoroquinolones (such as Cipro), and macrolides (such as Zithromax).
<<Complete
list of Antibiotics (PDF)>> |
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Can
antibiotics be harmful?
Unnecessary antibiotics can be harmful.
There are two main types of germs that cause illness, viruses
and bacteria. Antibiotics only fight bacterial infections. Sometimes
antibiotics are given unnecessarily for infections that they
will not help or cure. Antibiotics do nothing to help viral illnesses
like colds or influenza (flu). If you take an antibiotic when
it is not necessary, such as for a cold, you increase the risk
of developing an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. |
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What
are resistant bacteria?
Some bacteria are not killed by antibiotics.
These bacteria are considered to be "resistant" to
the antibiotic. Resistant bacteria emerge because of overuse
and misuse of antibiotics. Once bacteria develop resistance to
antibiotic treatment, they can continue to live and/or multiply
even after an antibiotic is taken. |
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What
is an antibiotic-resistant infection?
An antibiotic-resistant
infection is an infection that is difficult or impossible to
cure with antibiotics. Ear, sinus, throat, lungs, and intestines
are common sites for antibiotic-resistant infections. These infections
may be hard to treat, resulting in longer and more severe illnesses.
They may even need to be treated in the hospital. |
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How
will the doctor treat my infections if one antibiotic does
not work?
Your doctor may try higher doses of antibiotics, a
different type of antibiotic, or combinations of antibiotics,
or may try to administer the antibiotic in a different way
(such as, through the vein).
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How
do I catch an antibiotic-resistant infection?
There are three
ways in which you can get an antibiotic-resistant infection:
| 1. |
You can develop antibiotic-resistant infections
when you take an antibiotic. Bacteria that have been exposed
to the antibiotic but have developed ways to fight them
survive. They then can multiply and begin to cause symptoms.
You also can transmit these resistant bacteria to others
and they too may become ill. |
| 2. |
You can catch antibiotic resistant-infections from
people or objects around you that are infected with resistant
bacteria. Resistant bacteria are frequently found among
people in hospitals, nursing homes, or day care centers.
Not properly washing hands can increase your risk of catching
all kinds of infections. |
| 3. |
You can develop an antibiotic-resistant infection
when the bacteria inside your body exchange, share, or
copy genes that allow them to resist antibiotic treatment. |
In addition, antibiotic-resistant bacteria can arise in pigs,
chickens, cattle and other farm animals, which are exposed
to low doses of antibiotics in their daily feed. These
resistant bacteria can then spread to humans, causing antibiotic-resistant
infections. Currently, very few human infections stem
from resistant bacteria in animals, but inappropriate agricultural
use of antibiotics is a large potential concern for human
health.
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How
can I prevent antibiotic-resistant infections?
You can do several
things to prevent-antibiotic resistant infections in yourself
and others:
| 1. |
Never take an antibiotic for a viral
infection such as cold, cough, or flu. |
| 2. |
Always wash your hands thoroughly. |
| 3. |
Always handle food correctly. |
| 4. |
4Take an antibiotic exactly as the doctor prescribes. |
| 5. |
Take the antibiotic until it is gone, even if you
are feeling better. Never save the medication to treat
yourself or others later. |
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If I
do not take action to avoid antibiotic resistance, how am I affecting
those around me?
If you do not take action to prevent resistance,
you affect your friends and loved ones. Research has shown that
during and shortly after the time a household member takes an
antibiotic, others in the same household have more resistant
bacteria in their throat or on their skin. Although these resistant
bacteria may never cause symptoms, they could cause infection
or spread to others. Preventing resistance can have larger effects
as well. If everyone takes precautions against resistance and
uses antibiotics correctly, many antibiotics will continue
to be effective for many years. |
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Will
antibiotics be completely ineffective someday?
It is unlikely
that this will occur. However, there are now strains of some
bacteria (i.e., Enterococcus faecalis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
and Burkholderia cepacia) which are not treatable with any of
the routinely available antibiotics. Researchers will continue
to make or find stronger antibiotics, but bacteria will continue
to find ways to survive. |
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Why
would health care providers give antibiotics if not needed?
Approximately
one-third to one-half of all antibiotic prescriptions are not
needed. Many health care providers report feeling pressured by
worried parents or patients to prescribe antibiotics. Rather
than take the time to explain why an antibiotic isn’t
needed, it may be easier to write a prescription. They also
may not be sure whether an infection is caused by a bacterium
or virus. In some cases, laboratory tests, such as for strep
throat, can be helpful, but again require extra time and sometimes
a second visit for the patient. |
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If
my doctor wants to give me an antibiotic, what questions do
I need to ask?
| 1. |
Why do I (or my child) need an antibiotic? |
| 2. |
What is the name of the drug? |
| 3. |
How and when do I take it and for how long? |
| 4. |
Are there food, drinks, or activities I should avoid
while taking this medication? |
| 5. |
Does the medication cause side effects? What are
they and how can I prevent them? |
| 6. |
Can I take this medication safely while I am also
taking another prescription or non-prescription medicine? |
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Do antibacterial
products (such as antibacterial soaps) fight infections better
than ordinary soaps?
Except in health care settings, there is
no evidence that the use of antibacterial products prevent infection
better than ordinary soap. Hand washing with ordinary soap and
water is sufficient to reduce the risk of most common infections
and does not add to antibiotic resistance. |
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