Change Your World Week Winter 2022 (Archived)
Antibiotics are Killing Us
About 30% of antibiotics prescribed are unnecessary. Over-prescribed antibiotics can cause allergic reactions, C.diff, and create super bugs. When taking unnecessary antibiotics super bugs can be created. Super bugs are created when the bacteria mutate, then become resistant to antibiotics. As of today, there are 5 super bugs that are resistant to every antibiotic we have. These super bugs can spread quickly through the community. Some super bugs are caused by pneumonia, UTI’s, and skin infections. C. diff is a deadly diarrhea that is caused after the use of antibiotics. In the US alone there are about 500,000 cases of c. diff in a year. 1 out of 6 patients will get c. diff again within 2-8 weeks. And 1 out of 11 people over 65-year-old will die from c. diff. If the proper hand washing is not used, the bacteria can spread through poop. C. diff can live on human skin. 1 out of 15 people can have allergic reactions to antibiotics. You develop an allergy to antibiotics when your body becomes hypersensitive. Your body sees antibiotics as a harmful substance and attacks it. You can have mild reactions such as rash, nausea, and loss of appetite. Or you can have a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
This video shows how bacteria mutates in a experiment.
Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yybsSqcB7mE
Solution
The biggest thing that can be done is to educate the patients. Having the providers explain what could happen to you will help the biggest. Put up information posters in examine rooms. Making all electronic records available, regardless of the system that are used. Can start having patients bring in their new medication bottles, could also help. The WHO also has a plan called “Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance”. Their steps involve improving awareness and understanding, strengthening surveillance and research, reduce infection, optimize use of antibiotics, and to insure sustained investment.
Take Action
I will have people sign a petition that can push for more patient education from providers. Then, turn this into the hospital I work for.
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0503-unnecessary-prescriptions.html
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117033&page=1
https://www.cdc.gov/cdiff/risk.html
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antibiotics/side-effects/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance