Save Antibiotics – Stop Inappropriate Use Of This Powerful Drugs!

First, it is necessary to start with a short historical overview: penicillin was the first-high profile antibiotic, discovered by Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. Being a great breakthrough, it was produced widely in time for the Second World War. Now penicillin belongs to a wide group commonly prescribed to treat bacterial infections. These powerful drugs are known to kill and inhibit further growth of bacteria in human body.



Lately, there was a big hubbub about antibiotics after Lancet Infectious Diseases reported the spread of a new drug-resistant superbug coming from South Asia. News agencies, one by one, continue announcing: antibiotics era is coming to a close. As Sarah Boseley, editor and columnist of British newspaper the Guardian asserted: "...Now, the post-antibiotic apocalypse is within sight."



However there is the opposite opinion, which asserts that the news about antibiotics uselessness is exaggerated. People shouldn't denying what they have unless they can't find an appropriate substitution.



The effectiveness of antibiotics drugs depends on how we use them. Unfortunately, even some doctors forgot that antibiotics are not effective treatment for fighting viruses or fungal infections. Antibiotics should only be taken as prescribed for bacterial infections. Antibiotics overuse creates drug resistance which significantly reduces the benefits of these magic drugs.



However the problem still can be rectified and here are the main recommendations:



- Never save unused antibiotics for later use or take antibiotics which have been prescribed for someone else. Antibiotics misuse causes serious consequences.



- It's necessary to remember that antibiotics will never help against non-bacterial infections like cold or flu (both caused by viruses).



- When a patient does have a bacterial infection, his health provider usually recommends to take all of the antibiotic drugs prescribed to a patient, even if the patient feels better in a short time. This is to make sure that as much of the bacteria are effected as possible for the first time around. If just some fractions of the bacteria will be effected (enough to make the patient feels better), the patient may still be able to spread the surviving bacteria, which are more resistant than usual. This kind of practice can lead to a slow build-up of antibiotic resistance within a community. So, the antibiotic treatment must be finished completely.



- Frequent hand-washing among medical staff and people in general is an essential measure.



- Diagnosing new MRSA infections quickly. After detecting MRSA infection, the patient must be immediately isolated so that he does not come in contact with other susceptible patients. To isolate the infected patient effectively, the hospital needs just empty bed in a private room. Unfortunately, this practice is common in some hospitals in some parts of the world, but by far not everywhere.



- In 2006 the European Union prohibited routine use of antibiotics in animal feed because of evidence about its drug-resistance consequences for humans. Now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is recommending the same for the U.S. as well, for the same reason. Hopefully the proper measures will be taken soon.



Use antibiotics wisely as there is no better substitution yet for these powerful drugs!