Antibiotics Antibiotics are an antimicrobial drug that is used to prevent and treat bacterial infections, they can either kill or block the growth of the bacteria. Bacterial Infections Bacterial infections are Examples of Bacterial infections caused by bacteria. Infections are : Pneumonia, Although many bacteria are Meningitis, Cellulitis, Strep helpful to us, infectious Throat, food poisoning such as bacteria makes us ill. These Salmonella, etc. bacteria replicate fastly and are treated with antibiotics. Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria is…
when an antibiotic has lost the
ability to kill or control bacterial growth. What causes Bacteria to become Antibiotic Resistant ? What humans do to influence antibiotic resistance ? ● Misuse of antibiotics ○ No effect on bacteria because of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. ○ To many prescriptions of “broad spectrum antibiotics” instead of a good research target ○ The misuse of antibiotics by patient with no respect towards dosage or duration of antibiotic, causing bacteria to survive and reproduce How does bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? ● Some bacteria are naturally resistant to certain antibiotics ● Other bacteria get gene mutations when exposed to antibiotics ● Resistance can easily spread to other bacterial species, bacteria can easily exchange genetic material Can bacteria lose their resistance to antibiotics? Yes, in a reversed process were selective pressure is removed from the bacteria, but this happens much slower. Why Should we be Concerned about Antibiotic Resistance ? There has not been any advancement of antibiotics in sometime ● Even if there are new antibiotics in market there is no guarantee that they will be effective ● It is essential that bacteria do not become resistant to all antibiotics because there is only a limited number of them Antibiotic resistance is not coming it’s already here ● It is not the future it is the present ● We can only try to keep the issue from advancing Cancer chemotherapy require effective antibiotics ● Chemotherapy weakens the immune system ● Bacteria can be life threatening to these patients It is a global issue that involves all of the human population from the youngest to the oldest Can Antibiotic Resistance be Prevented ? Antibiotic resistance can be prevented, here are some measures you and your healthcare provider can take to help you prevent it. What Patients can do … ● Only use antibiotics prescribed by a professional ● Do not ask for antibiotics that a doctor says you do not need ● Always follow the antibiotics written instructions or the instructions of a pharmacist or doctor ● Never share or reuse old antibiotics ● Take ALL antibiotics if instructed to insure that all bacteria is killed ● Prevent infection by taking simple measures like washing your hands. What Healthcare providers can do … ● They can help by only prescribing antibiotics that are necessary for a patient ● Talk to patients about how to correctly take antibiotics ● They can talk about the antibiotics dangers and misuse ● Talking to patients about how to prevent infections and recommending simple measures to prevent them ● And to tell patients about antibiotic resistance how to prevent it happening and the dangers The end