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The widespread availability of antibiotics beginning in the 1940s revolutionized medical care. Today, however, many bacterial infections are developing resistance to the most commonly prescribed antibiotic treatments, and the incidence of "superbugs" is on the rise. |
Antibiotic Resistance: Protecting Yourself Against Superbugs
You wake up with a sore throat and think, "I just dont have time to be sick this week." After ransacking your medicine cabinet, you discover a few antibiotic pills left over from a previous illness. You swallow a couple with a multivitamin and big glass of orange juice. Can't hurt, right? Wrong. Chances are, that antibiotic won't help your sore throat, and by taking an antibiotic not prescribed by your doctor for your current illness, you could be contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria - a problem that health professionals call one of the world's most pressing public health challenges.
Why should we be concerned about antibiotic resistance?
Antibiotic-resistant infections are increasingly a problem for hospitals and nursing homes where antibiotic-resistant bacteria can spread from one patient to another, taking advantage of open wounds and suppressed or over-taxed immune systems. In fact, an October 2007 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that 94,360 U.S. patients developed an invasive infection from antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus (MRSA) in 2005 and that nearly one of every five, or 18,650 of them, died.
Increasing numbers of U.S. soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have been plagued with highly resistant wound infections. More alarming, several cases of antibiotic-resistant infections recently have occurred in the general population, with some cases virulent enough to cause fatalities in young children. Even the strong are at risk. In 2000, a CDC team of experts was called to investigate an outbreak of MRSA infections among members of the 2000 Super Bowl champs, the St. Louis Rams.
Antibiotics are drugs that fight infections caused by bacteria. Their widespread availability beginning in the 1940s revolutionized medical care and dramatically reduced illness and death from infectious diseases. Today, however, many bacterial infections in the United States and throughout the world are developing resistance to the most commonly prescribed antibiotic treatments.
Sometimes called "superbugs," these infections that can't be successfully treated with commonly prescribed antibiotics often involve longer illnesses, extended hospital stays or severe side effects from last resort drugs. They often lead to higher treatment costs. And for young children, the elderly and the immuno-compromised, a progressive antibiotic-resistant infection can be fatal.
Why are bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotic treatments?
A major factor in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Most illnesses are caused by two kinds of germs: bacteria and viruses. Antibiotics "work" against infections caused by bacteria, like a strep throat. Antibiotics don't work against viruses, like the common cold, the flu and the majority of sore throats and runny noses.
"This overuse threatens the effectiveness of these precious drugs," says Dr.Cindy Friedman, medical director of CDC's Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work program. "Doctors and patients are both part of the problem. Studies show that if a doctor believes a patient wants an antibiotic, he or she is much more likely to prescribe one, even if the patient doesn't really need one."
What is CDC doing to address this problem?
CDC is working to combat the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria through a group of education programs called Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work. The Get Smart program educates consumers, health care professionals, veterinarians and food industry representatives about their respective roles in preventing antibiotic resistance.
Just a sampling of the program's efforts includes:
- a national advertising campaign targeting consumers that encourages parents not to pressure their pediatricians for antibiotics when their children are sick with a common cold, the flu or other viruses
- the development of clinical practice guidelines to help health care providers treat upper respiratory infections appropriately and tools to discuss antibiotic resistance with patients
- the creation of curricula and training resources for medical students and health care providers that focus on the prevention and diagnosis of antibiotic-resistant infections
- partnerships that address the use of antibiotics on farm animals by promoting farm management techniques that control infection and promote healthy growth without using antibiotics inappropriately.
How can you help protect yourself and your family against superbugs?
- Talk to your health care provider about antibiotic resistance.
- Don't demand an antibiotic for a cold or another viral illness if your doctor does not prescribe one. Ask about other ways to help relieve your symptoms.
- If your health care provider does prescribe an antibiotic, be sure that you take the medicine exactly as directed.
- Take ALL of your antibiotic, even if you start feeling better.
- Don't save some of your antibiotic for the next time you get sick.
- Don't take antibiotics prescribed for someone else.
How can you partner with CDC in the fight against antibiotic resistance?
The CDC Foundation builds partnerships to support Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work and other CDC programs that promote the appropriate use of antibiotics and antimicrobial agents. Some of the Foundation's very first partnerships supported research that provided the groundwork for these important national campaigns. To learn more about these programs, please call (404) 653-0790 or e-mail Julie Rodgers.