How You Can Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance
How You Can Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance
See also: Antibiotic Resistance - Frequently Asked Questions, Facts About Antibiotic Resistance, How You Can Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance, Five Hints for Parents to Understanding Antibiotic Usage, A Childs Runny Nose: Tips for Parents, Cold and Flu Season: No Reason for Antibiotics
- 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 health care provider has determined they are not needed.
- Parents should talk with their health care 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.
Used with permission of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)