Antibiotic Overuse Fuels Drug Resistance

Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. That simple fact is one of the most important points to remember in halting the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

            “Resistant bacteria are bacteria that are no longer killed by most antibiotics. Repeated use and misuse of antibiotics are some of the main causes of the increase in resistant bacteria,” said Dr. Susan Drez, pediatrician at the Children’s Clinic of SWLA.

            Drez maintains that antibiotics are not effective against viral infections like the common cold, most sore throats, and the flu. Still, many people ask for-- and some doctors provide-- antibiotics for these illnesses “just in case” there are bacteria present.

            The Department of Health and Human Services notes that “inappropriate antibiotic use – particularly among children – is contributing to an alarming growth of global antibiotic resistance.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most pressing public health problems. Diseases such as tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and childhood ear infections are now more difficult to treat than they were decades ago.  Antibiotic resistance can cause significant danger and suffering for children and adults who have common infections that were once easily treatable with antibiotics. 

Over the last decade, almost every type of bacteria has become stronger and less responsive to antibiotic treatment when it is really needed.  These antibiotic-resistant bacteria can quickly spread to family members, school mates, and co-workers—threatening the community with a new strain of infectious disease that is more difficult to cure and more expensive to treat.

            To help prevent antibiotic-resistant infections, Drez suggests the following:

• Ask your pediatrician what the best treatment is for your child. Antibiotics aren’t always the answer when your child is sick.
• Do not take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold or flu. Antiviral medications, which are different from antibiotics, are okay to take if prescribed.
• Finish all prescribed doses of an antibiotic. If your child feels better and stops the medicine too soon, the infection could return.
• Throw away unused antibiotics. Never save antibiotics for later use or to give to the sick child’s sibling.