From November 12 through November 16, 2018, Cooper University Health Care recognizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Antibiotic Awareness Week to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and usage.
Antibiotics save lives and are critical tools for treating bacterial infections. However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance. To note, antibiotic resistance does not mean the body is becoming resistant to antibiotics; it means bacteria develop the ability to defeat the antibiotics designed to kill them. Each year, approximately two million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result.
By using antibiotics only when necessary, we can help reduce antibiotic resistance, prevent the spread of superbugs, and protect patients from the side effects of antibiotics. Superinfections such as C.difficile infection are another major concern with antibiotic exposure. Below are a few important facts to remember about antibiotic use.
- Antibiotics do not work on viruses, such as those that cause colds, flu, bronchitis, or runny noses, even if the mucus is thick, yellow, or green.
- Antibiotics are only needed for treating infections caused by bacteria, but some bacterial infections get better without antibiotics.
- When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and the side effects could still cause harm. Side effects range from minor to very severe health problems. When you need antibiotics for a bacterial infection, then the benefits usually outweigh the risk of side effects.
- If you need antibiotics, take them exactly as prescribed. Talk with your doctor if you have any questions about your antibiotics.
- Talk with your doctor if you develop any side effects, especially severe diarrhea, since that could be a Clostridioides difficile ( difficile or C. diff) infection, which needs to be treated.
- Do your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy by cleaning hands, covering coughs, staying home when sick, and getting recommended vaccines, such as the flu vaccine.
Improving how antibiotics are prescribed, and the way that we take them, can help fight antibiotic resistance while ensuring that these lifesaving drugs are available and effective now and for future generations.
Be on the lookout! The Cooper Antimicrobial Stewardship Program will be hosting multiple events during the week, including giveaways and mini-educational sessions for providers, nurses, staff, and patients.
Click here to view a Q&A session with Cooper Infectious Disease Physician Dana Byrne, MD, Antimicrobial Stewardship Director and Lucia Rose, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Infectious Diseases, and Co-director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.
For inquiries, please email the Cooper Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at asp@cooperhealth.edu.