Antibiotic Resistance : FAQ, Part 2

by CDC

(Page 2 of 3)

How You Can Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance

Do not take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold, a cough or the flu.

Take an antibiotic exactly as the doctor tells you. Do not skip doses. Complete the prescribed course of treatment, even if you are feeling better.

Do not save any antibiotics for the next time you get sick. Discard any leftover medication once you have completed your prescribed course of treatment.

Do not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else. The antibiotic may not be appropriate for your illness. Taking the wrong medicine may delay correct treatment and allow bacteria to multiply.

Antibiotic prescriptions in outpatient settings can be reduced dramatically - without adversely affecting patient health - by not prescribing antibiotics for viral illnesses, such as colds, most sore throats, coughs, bronchitis, and the flu.

Parents should not demand antibiotics when a healthcare provider has determined they are not needed.

Parents should talk with their healthcare provider about antibiotic resistance.

Parents should not give their children antibiotics for a viral infection like a cold, a cough, or the flu. Antibiotics should be used only to treat bacterial infections.

Parents should ensure that their children take all medication as prescribed, even if symptoms disappear. If treatment stops too soon, some bacteria may survive and re-infect.

A Prescription for Parents: Five Hints to Understanding Antibiotic Usage

When are antibiotics necessary? Your doctor can best answer this complicated question and the answer depends on the diagnosis. Here are a few examples:

1. Ear infections: There are several types; many need antibiotics, but some do not.

2. Sinus infections: Most children with thick or green mucus do not have sinus infections. Antibiotics are needed for some long-lasting or severe cases.

3. Cough or bronchitis: Children rarely need antibiotics for bronchitis.

4. Sore throat: Viruses cause most cases. Only one major kind, "strep throat," requires antibiotics. This condition must be diagnosed by a laboratory test.

5. Colds: Colds are caused by viruses and may last for two weeks or longer. Antibiotics have no effect on colds, but your doctor may have suggestions for obtaining comfort while the illness runs its course.

It is worth noting that viral infections sometimes lead to bacterial infections. But treating viral infections with antibiotics will not prevent bacterial infections and may trigger infections with resistant bacteria. Keep your doctor informed if the illness gets worse, or lasts a long time, so that the proper treatment can be given as needed.

Fluid in the Middle Ear: Tips for Parents

A doctor said your child has fluid in the middle ear, also called otitis (oh-TIE-Tus) media with effusion (uh-FEW-zhun) (OME). Fluid usually does not bother children and it almost always goes away on its own. This does not have to be treated with antibiotics, unless it lasts for a few months. Here are some facts about OME and ear infections.

What are the main kinds of ear infections?

Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) is an infection of the ear canal that can be painful and is treated with eardrops.

A middle ear infection, which a doctor might call "acute otitis media" (AOM), may cause ear pain, fever, or an inflamed eardrum, and is often treated with oral antibiotics.

What causes OME?

Fluid may build up in the middle ear for two reasons. When a child has a cold, the middle ear makes fluid just as the nose does - it just doesn't run out as easily from the middle ear. After a middle ear infection, fluid may take a month or longer to go away.

Are antibiotics ever needed for OME?

Sometimes antibiotics may be needed if the fluid is still present after a few months and is causing decreased hearing in both ears. For this reason, your child will need an ear check in a few months. If there is still fluid in the middle ear, your child may need a hearing test.

What should I do?

The best treatment is to wait and watch your child. Since fluid in the middle ear rarely bothers children, it is best to let it go away on its own. Right now, your child might not need antibiotics.

You may need to schedule a visit to see the doctor again in a few months to be sure the fluid is gone.

Why not try antibiotics now?

Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can be harmful. Each time people take antibiotics, they are more likely to carry resistant germs in their noses and throats. Common antibiotics cannot kill these resistant germs. Your child may need antibiotics that are more costly, given by a needle, and/or administered in the hospital. Since OME will almost always get better on its own, it is better to wait and take antibiotics only when they are needed.

About the Author

www.cdc.gov
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to help themselves.