PSA: antibiotic resistance is real

[anotheranon]

Yes, the gubmint lies about some things, but not this. Discussion about the importance of public education about antibiotic resistance, some stats on overuse of antibiotics in clinical and agricultural contexts, and links to other antibiotic resistance sites. I'm hoping my friend L., who recently got her masters' in public health, will weigh in on this subject as I know she knows more than me :)

So - wash your hands, y'all. And if your doc tries to give you an antibiotic when you've got a viral infection, ask why!

Comments

[nminusone.livejournal.com]

The best excuse I have ever heard (from at least 2 different doctors) for giving antibiotics to someone with a viral infections is that there will often be opportunistic bacterial infections alongside them. I don't know how much I agree with this though.

I read a CDC estimate that 50% of antibiotic prescriptions are inappropriate. I find that easy to believe. And then we get BS like 5 day courses of antibiotics (azithromycin/z-pac). You could hardly do worse if you tried, regardless of the marketing spin about long half-life; it's nothing like benzathine penicillin.

One MD I talked to told me that some hospitals now keep the vancomycin under lock and key and require a senior doctor to review all prescriptions, since it's one of the few antibiotics that bacteria aren't widely resistant to yet.

In addition drug companies aren't spending as much on developing new antibiotics because they're too cheap and used for too little time. It's much better to have a drug someone will need every day for the rest of their life than for 2-6 weeks.