Please select the strategies that can be used to reduce the level of antimicrobial drug resistance.
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Show Prevention is the best way to protect against antibiotic resistance. There are many steps that individuals can take to protect themselves and their families:
Our bodies are constantly exposed to millions of germs. Regular hand washing can help fight germs and prevent illness.
Learn how to recognize early symptoms of an infection. If you think you have an infection, or if your infection is not getting better or is getting worse, talk to a healthcare professional.
Talk to your healthcare professional about the antibiotics they prescribe and learn about possible side effects. Ask about what they are doing to keep their facilities safe and prevent further infections.
Not all infections need antibiotics. Work with your healthcare professional to make sure you are getting the right antibiotic, at the right dosage, for the right amount of time. Never demand antibiotics if your healthcare professional says they are unnecessary.
Only take antibiotics when appropriately prescribed and administered by your healthcare provider.
Food such as meat, fruits, and vegetables can be contaminated with bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends four simple steps to prepare food safely at home: Clean, separate, cook, and chill.
Getting your annual influenza vaccine and keeping up to date on all immunizations can help prevent illness. How Healthcare Professionals Can Help Prevent Antibiotic ResistanceHealthcare professionals can take several steps to protect patients from drug-resistant infections:
Make sure to stay up to date on the recommend antibiotics practices and doses. CDC offers many resources for healthcare professionals.
Tell patients about the side effects and risks associated with the antibiotics they are taking. Inform patients about antibiotic resistance and the dangers of misuse.
Wash your hands frequently, use gloves, ensure your instruments are clean, and exercise good patient contact precautions.
Keeping yourself healthy can ensure that you do not transmit harmful pathogens to your patients.
Antibiotic stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. NFID and multiple other public health organizations have been working to solve this problem. Help support these organizations and take the Antibiotic Stewardship Pledge. Download the NFID Antibiotic Stewardship Pledge for display in your office to show your commitment to reducing antibiotic resistance through appropriate antibiotic use. Reviewed November 2020 Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Learn more about why you may not need antibiotics when you're sick and the problems antibiotics can cause if taken unnecessarily. Antibiotics are drugs used for treating infections caused by bacteria. Also known as antimicrobial drugs, antibiotics have saved countless lives. Misuse and overuse of these drugs, however, have contributed to a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance. This resistance develops when potentially harmful bacteria change in a way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of antibiotics. A Public Health IssueAntibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern worldwide. When a person is infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, not only is treatment of that patient more difficult, but the antibiotic-resistant bacterium may spread to other people. When antibiotics don't work, the result can be
Examples of the types of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics include those that cause skin infections, urinary tract infections, meningitis, sexually transmitted diseases and respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia. In cooperation with other government agencies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched several initiatives to address antibiotic resistance. The agency has issued drug labeling regulations, emphasizing the prudent use of antibiotics. The regulations encourage health care professionals to prescribe antibiotics only when clinically necessary, and to counsel patients about the proper use of such drugs and the importance of taking them as directed. FDA has also encouraged the development of new drugs, vaccines, and improved diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Antibiotics Fight Bacteria, Not VirusesAntibiotics are meant to be used against bacterial infections. For example, they are used to treat strep throat, which is caused by streptococcal bacteria, and skin infections caused by staphylococcal bacteria. Although antibiotics kill bacteria, they are not effective against viruses. Therefore, they will not be effective against viral infections such as colds, most coughs, many types of sore throat, and influenza (flu). Using antibiotics against viral infections
Patients and health care professionals alike can play an important role in combating antibiotic resistance. Patients should not demand antibiotics when a health care professional says the drugs are not needed. Health care professionals should prescribe antibiotics only for infections they believe to be caused by bacteria. As a patient, your best approach is to ask your health care professional whether an antibiotic is likely to be effective for your condition. Also, ask what else you can do to relieve your symptoms. So how do you know if you have a bad cold or a bacterial infection? Joseph Toerner, M.D., MPH, a medical officer in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, says that the symptoms of a cold or flu generally lessen over the course of a week. But if you have a fever and other symptoms that persist and worsen with the passage of days, you may have a bacterial infection and should consult your health care provider. Follow Directions for Proper UseWhen you are prescribed an antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection, it's important to take the medication exactly as directed. Here are more tips to promote proper use of antibiotics.
Consumers and health care professionals can also report adverse events to FDA's MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online at MedWatch. What FDA Is DoingFDA combating antibiotic resistance through activities that include
back to top What can be done to reduce antimicrobial resistance?To prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance, individuals can: Only use antibiotics when prescribed by a certified health professional. Never demand antibiotics if your health worker says you don't need them. Always follow your health worker's advice when using antibiotics.
Which is the best way to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance?The best way to prevent antibiotic resistance is to use antibiotics correctly. Take them only when needed.. Only prescribing antibiotics that are needed.. Targeting the medicine as soon as possible to the specific bacteria involved.. Prescribing medicines for only as long as needed.. What are 4 ways that bacteria resist antibiotics?Antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Pump the antibiotic out from the bacterial cell. Bacteria can produce pumps that sit in their membrane or cell wall. ... . Decrease permeability of the membrane that surrounds the bacterial cell. ... . Destroy the antibiotic. ... . Modify the antibiotic.. |
