Saturday, October 12, 2013

Drug Resistance: 50% of Antibiotics Prescribed Not Needed

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem. Resistant Bacteria easily spread across international borders with ease. Each year in the United States two million people acquire a serious illness from a bacteria resistant to one or more drugs. At least 23,000 people are killed each year by drug resistant bacteria. Many more die from complications that are complicated by drug resistant bacteria.
Antibiotic resistance causes considerable expense to the over burdened US healthcare system. In most cases antibiotic resistant diseases require prolonged, costly treatment with extended hospital stays. They cause greater disability and death than treating bacterial diseases that are not drug resistant. The CDC estimates that the financial cost of medical care for patients with drug resistant bacteria is $ 20 million dollars. If you consider losses in productivity it goes up to 35 million.
The use of antibiotics is the single most important factor in the development of antibiotic resistance..Antibiotics are the most prescribed medication in human medicine.However, up to 50% of all the antibiotics prescribed for people are not needed or are not optimally effective as prescribed. Antibiotics  are also prescribed to animals to prevent, control, and cure disease. It is also used to promote growth in animals used for food production. The practice of using for growth promotion is not necessary and should be stopped.

Source CDC

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