抗生素耐药Antibiotic ResistancePPT.pptVIP

Antibiotic Resistance What it is and what you can do a presentation by Heather Yemen What are Antibiotics? Antibiotics are drugs that kill or prevent the growth of “bugs” or “germs” called bacteria. Antibiotics were discovered in the 1920s and are widely used today. Over 50 million pounds are produced yearly in the United States (CDC; Joshi Milfred, as cited in Nollette) They are the second-most commonly prescribed type of drug (Nollette, 2000) Antibiotics have saved millions of lives and have increased the average life expectancy since their discovery (WHO, 2002) A key point about antibiotics… Antibiotics are not effective against illnesses caused by viruses - at all! Many illnesses, including all colds and flus, are caused by viruses. When you are infected with a virus, taking antibiotics will not help you. What is Antibiotic Resistance? When bacteria come up with a way to stop particular antibiotic drugs from harming them. This happens naturally when bacteria mutate or change their genetic makeup and they become resistant by chance. These resistant bacteria are then able to survive when the antibiotics are used. Why is resistance a problem? Many common illnesses, including tuberculosis, and some STDs, are becoming resistant to every type of antibiotic that is used to treat it (WHO, 2002) In just a few years, we may have no effective treatments for these illnesses and many important antibiotics will be useless to us (WHO) WRONG! Many of our actions actually help bacteria to become more resistant. How are we helping bacteria to become resistant? By using antibiotics inappropriately we promote the development of resistance. Inappropriate use includes: Using antibiotics when we don’t need them Using the wrong type of antibiotic for a particular infection Not taking the full course of drugs as prescribed What can I do to help? Do not demand antibiotics from your doctor when he or she advises that you don’t need them. When you do need antibiotics, mak