Antibiotics are at times necessary in the treatment of bacterial infections. Since the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, antibiotics have been used to treat many diseases as a common practice by physicians and practitioners. The over-prescribing of antibiotics has put the patient’s health at risk with the growing trend of antibiotic resistant organisms. Antibiotic resistance has now become a universal problem which needs to be faced head on by healthcare workers. Healthcare workers play an important part in preventing antibiotic resistance which can be done through providing education on antibiotic usage and the prevention of antibiotic resistant organisms.
In the article by Aziz (2013), several issues have been identified relating to antibiotic resistance, antibiotic structure and function and the properties which lead to bacteria becoming resistant. The article identifies ways in which healthcare professionals can help to reduce antibiotic resistance. Many antibiotics are now ineffective against resistant organisms, particularly Gram negative bacteria (Aziz, 2013). The situation with antibiotic resistance is heightened by a significant decrease in the research and development of new and effective antibacterial agents.
There are many different antibiotics on the market and each effects bacterial growth differently. Depending on which type of antibiotics are used, they work differently to affect the cell by either preventing the cell wall from forming properly, preventing protein synthesis, interfering with DNA synthesis and disrupting plasma and/or outer membrane function (Aziz, 2013). Different antibiotics need to be used for different strains of bacteria. Almost all bacteria can be either classified ...
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...ce of antibiotic resistance, but it can be slowed down or modified by careful prescribing by practitioners.
The prescribing of antibiotics and the use of antibiotics requires increased awareness by practitioners and their knowledge of effective treatment for certain bacteria. By taking a holistic approach in treating infections, all stakeholders will be able to not only manage infections, but also minimize the occurrence of antibiotic resistance. As a practitioner is in important to be aware of how and when to prescribe antibiotics and the effect it has on the epidemic of antibiotic resistance. By educating other staff members and patients on antibiotic resistant organisms and the national trends, individuals will become aware of why antibiotics are no longer prescribed for all illnesses and are prescribed only for the ones in which they are affective against.
It is undeniable that the recent discovery of antibiotics and disinfectants in the past century is leading to the creation of increasingly dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Super bugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus have begun breaking out in hospital areas, killing more and more patients due to the lack of people following through with simple safety measures. In order to stop the creation and spread of antibiotic-resistant super bugs, proper precautions must be taken such as avoiding antibacterial cleaners, following through with instructions when taking prescriptions and maintaining adequate hand hygiene. Through adhering to basic safety rules, the creation and spread of super bugs can be minimized and all together discontinued from occurring at such a rapid rate.
According to USA Today, U.S. doctors are prescribing enough antibiotics to give to 4 out of 5 Americans every year, an alarming pace that suggests they are being excruciatingly overused. In fact, Dr. Aunna Pourang from MD states, “to give you an idea of how high the pressure is to prescribe antibiotics, I didn’t get a job once because during the interview I told the lead physician that I only prescribe antibiotic prescriptions when they are warranted.” The development and widespread obsession of antibiotics, or drugs that kill bacteria and thereby reduce infection, has helped billions of people live longer, healthier lives. Unfortunately, the more we rely on and abuse antibiotics, the more bacteria develop resistance to them, which makes treating infections that much more challenging and leads to the growth of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Research from the Center of Disease Control found that two million people in the United States become infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria, while 23,000 people die from such infections each year. Americans often aren’t informed on the power of the human body and rush to assumptions when perfection isn’t present. In a nutshell, the obsession of antibiotics is quite deadly and needs to be addressed before it’s too
Therefore, local communities must take actions regarding antibiotic-resistance, whether they are awareness programs or state and nationally regulated laws. The act of hindering antibiotic-resistance development is also an individual commitment. People must understand the effects of excess antibiotics and commit to making a difference. These acts may be as simple as not demanding unnecessary antibiotics and finish the entire course when antibiotics are prescribed. Regardless to the natural evolution of bacteria, society must delay the development of antibiotic-resistance within bacteria with humanity has hastened
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most important issues facing health care today, with wide reaching future implications if abuse continues. In the United States alone, antibiotic resistance is responsible for over two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths per year. Providers need to be judicious in the disbursement of these life saving pharmacological agents, while being informative of why antibiotics are not always the answer (Talkington, Cairns, Dolen, & Mothershed, 2014). In the case listed below, several issues need to be addressed including perception, knowledge deficit, and the caregiver’s role. This paper will focus on whether a prescription for antibiotics is appropriate and other courses of action that may be taken instead.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), describes antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria or other microbes to resist the effects of antibiotic treatment. () So instead of being destroyed by the medications, the bacteria survives and continues to reproduce, resultant in new communicable diseases that even more difficult to treat.
Antibiotics are powerful substances which are capable of inhibiting bacterial growth. Antibiotics can be consumed from any part of the body. Essentially there are two different types of antibiotics which perform different operations to the body. (Medical News, 1) The first discovered type is bactericidal, which not only inhibits but initially eliminates the bacterial or microbial organisms, this is done through exterminating the bacterium cell wall which furthermore erupts and causes the bacteria to be killed. The second type is bacteriostatic, as the name states. It aids to inhibit and limit bacterial growth. The antibiotic stops bacterial growth through stopping the process of protein synthesis, or bacterial reproduction. It is consumed to stop the growth of a microorganism permanently or temporarily. (Scientific American, 3) Patients consume antibiotics through the mouth. Antibiotics can also be directly injected into the body. Others can be applied on the infected area of the body, and physically cured or eliminated. (Medical News, 1)
“The World Health Organization projects that as drug effectiveness decreases and antibiotic resistance increases, public education becomes more and more crucial” (476) Antibiotics were discovered in 1940 and since have been abused and misused. Between bad practices and lack of proper education antibiotic resistance has been allowed to occur. The only way to combat bacterial infections is with strong patient education and following the correct schedule in taking antibiotics.
Antibiotic resistance is a consequence of the misuse of antibiotics that give pathogenic bacteria the ability to withstand the effects of an antibiotic. Resistance occurs when bacteria change in such a way that they survive exposure to antibiotics. Resistance may not be confined to a single antibiotic, but may affect multiple antimicrobial classes. Antibiotic resistance is a major problem and everyone needs to work together to combat it - from medical practitioners to patients.
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has presented many problems in our society, including an increased chance of fatality due to infections that could have otherwise been treated with success. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, but overexposure to these drugs give the bacteria more opportunities to mutate, forming resistant strains. Through natural selection, those few mutated bacteria are able to survive treatments of antibiotics and then pass on their genes to other bacterial cells through lateral gene transfer (Zhaxybayeva, 2011). Once resistance builds in one patient, it is possible for the strain to be transmitted to others through improper hygiene and failure to isolate patients in hospitals.
In the last decade, the number of prescriptions for antibiotics has increases. Even though, antibiotics are helpful, an excess amount of antibiotics can be dangerous. Quite often antibiotics are wrongly prescribed to cure viruses when they are meant to target bacteria. Antibiotics are a type of medicine that is prone to kill microorganisms, or bacteria. By examining the PBS documentary Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria and the article “U.S. government taps GlaxoSmithKline for New Antibiotics” by Ben Hirschler as well as a few other articles can help depict the problem that is of doctors prescribing antibiotics wrongly or excessively, which can led to becoming harmful to the body.
Bibliography:.. References 1) Lewis, Ricki, “The Rise of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections”. Food and Drug Administration Publications. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/795_antibio.html September, 1995. 2) Levy, S., Bittner, M., and Salyers, A. Ask the Experts about “Ask the Experts”.
Thesis: With the advent of antibiotics in 1929 Fleming said, "The time may come when penicillin can be bought by anyone in the shops.Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant."With the overuse of antibiotics today we have seen this very idea come to be.Over usage is caused most prevalently by a lack of education on the part of the patient.Thus stated, the way to overcome such a circumstance is to educate, not only the patient but also the physician.
There are many medical professionals who believe that the rise of antibiotic resistance is a result of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Dr. Jim Wilde, a paediatric emergency medicine physician at the Medical College of Georgia believes that the medical profession is losing the war against resistance...
The most effective way to combat pathogenic bacteria which invade the body is the use of antibiotics. Overexposure to antibiotics can easily lead to resistant strains of bacteria. Resistance is dangerous because bacteria can easily spread from person to person. Simple methods for preventing excessive bacterial spread are often overlooked. Not all preventative measures are even adequate. Doctors and patients often use antibiotics unnecessarily or incorrectly, leading to greater resistance. Antibiotics are used heavily in livestock and this excessive antibiotic use can create resistant bacteria and transfer them to humans. In order to reduce resistant bacteria,
“Over 100 antibiotics are available for use in infected patients today.” (Plenum Press, New York, 1992). “However, without