Antibiotics
Know the facts
• Antibiotics are life-saving drugs when used wisely.
• Antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria. They do not work on viruses that
cause colds and flu.
• Each year, almost 2 million people in the U.S. become infected with bacteria that
antibiotics can’t treat. These bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics. At least
23,000 people die each year from these infections.
• A reaction to an antibiotic may require a visit to the ER, especially for kids.
• Antibiotics also kill good bacteria in your body. This may lead to other problems like
diarrhea or yeast infections.
life-saving
treat infections
use wisely
When do you really need an antibiotic?
Bronchitis (in healthy
children and adults) √ √ May be recommended
Cold or runny nose √ No
Ear infection √ √ May be recommended
Flu √ No
Fluid in the middle ear √ No
Sinus infection √ √ May be recommended
Sore throat (except strep) √ No
Strep throat √ Yes
Urinary tract infection √ Yes
Antibiotics are
powerful drugs for
fighting infections.
They don’t work
for every sickness.
This chart shows
when you may be
given an antibiotic.
Illness Virus Bacteria Should you expect
an antibiotic?
RX
SpeakUp:™
Information available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
Questions to ask when you are given an antibiotic:
Antibiotic do’s and don’ts
Do Don’t
✓ ✗
• Skip doses
• Share the drugs with others
• Insist on an antibiotic if your
health care provider doesn’t think
you should have one
RX
? ? ? • Why do you need it?
• What kind of infection do you have? Is this the best drug for it?
• How long should you take it?
• Will you get better without it?
• What are the side effects?
• Will it interact with other drugs?
• How and when should you take it?
• Take it exactly as your health care
provider says
• Take only the drugs prescribed for you
• Prevent infections by washing your hands
and getting vaccinated
Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them
doesn’t make sense!
• How you use antibiotics today will affect how well the drugs work
tomorrow for everyone.
• It takes many years to develop new antibiotics. We need to improve the
use of the drugs currently available.
• One of the world’s biggest health threats is from bacterial infections that
no longer respond to antibiotics. Everyone must work together to use
antibiotics wisely.
®
For more information
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The goal of Speak Up™ is to help patients and their advocates become active in their care.
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