Post by Your Home Companion on Apr 15, 2015 13:58:35 GMT
What You Should Know About Antibiotic Resistance
Did you know?
Antibiotics are drugs used to treat bacterial infections. Using antibiotics the wrong way can lead to antibiotic-resistant infections. Each year in the US, at least 2 million people get serious infections with bacteria that are resistant to one or more of the antibiotics designed to treat those infections. At least 23,000 people die each year as a result of these antibiotic-resistant infections1. And this is why healthcare providers are being more careful when prescribing antibiotics.
What is antibiotic resistance?
It happens when bacteria change in a way that reduces or eliminates the ability of anitbiotics to kell the bacteria.
How can I prevent antibiotic resistance?
Take antibiotics exactly as your health provider instructs.
Only take antibiotics prescribed for you.
Do not save antibiotics for the next illness or share them will others.
Don’t pressure your healthcare provider for antibiotics.
Top 5 questions you can ask your healthcare provider about antibiotics:
1. Do I really need an antibiotic?
2. Can I get better without an antibiotic?
3. What side effects or drug interaction can I expect?
4. What side effects should I report to you?
5. How do you know what kind of infection I have? I understand the antibiotics won’t work on viral infections.
Once again, thank you to the exhibitors at the Senior Symposium in Chestertown. While there, we were able to take advantage of handouts, pamphlets and discussions that led to a wealth of information. This information came from the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene.
We thought we would share some of it with you.
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