Antibiotic Antibiotics

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Antibiotics have been vital tools in the fight against bacterial infections, however their effectiveness has waned in recent times due to the advent of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. According to a review by P, the uses of antibiotics, as well as influences from the environment have allowed such bacterial strains to respond to changes in their environment rapidly, and so develop resistance. This acquired ability can have serious and broad implications in the medical field, evident in a study by O into the resistance of intestinal Staphylococcus aureus.

It has been suggested that bacterial resistance develops with unnecessary over-prescription, and early termination of antibiotic treatment. O noted that unsupervised self-medication of antibiotics was a key factor in the advancement of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A recent study revealed alarming use of antibiotics within the developing world. Non-prescription antibiotics have been primarily used to treat cough and influenza, where patients cease medication themselves prior to completion of the course because they fel...

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