CDC Launches Get Smart - Know When Antibiotics Work Campaign

Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network

CDC Launches Get Smart - Know When Antibiotics Work Campaign

Edited by: Stephanie Wallner, M.S., Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D, Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2006

During the cold winter months, many people find themselves feeling the effects of colds or the flu and ask their doctors for antibiotic prescriptions to treat Preserve a Treasure Brochure their ailments. Unfortunately, this seemingly easy solution or quick-fix to ease the symptoms of viruses and other illnesses has led to the problem of antibiotic resistance, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes as one of its top concerns. Antibiotics, or antimicrobial drugs, are drugs that fight bacterial infections; they are not effective against infections caused by viruses, such as the common cold and the flu, even though many people have grown accustomed to using antibiotics to treat such viral infections. Over time, the improper use and overuse of these drugs has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, bacteria which have changed or mutated in ways that allow them to survive the adverse conditions created by the antibiotic drug. As people repeatedly take antibiotics, fewer of the infectious bacteria are killed, leading to the development of resistant germs that are able to cause longer, more serious illnesses and even death. According to the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most of today's bacterial infections, including malaria, HIV, Staph aureus, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are becoming resistant to antibiotics.

The development of antibiotic resistance is a biological process that is accelerated by human factors, including incorrect use of antibiotic drugs for inadequate lengths of time, inadequate doses or potency, or to treat the wrong types of infection. Microbes are then able to survive, adapt, and pass on resistance genes to other bacteria. Because bacterial populations have found ways to outsmart many antibiotic drugs over time, conditions from tuberculosis to ear infections are now harder to treat than they once were. The increased use of more potent antibiotics when "first-line drugs" are ineffective only makes the situation worse, as resistant bacteria then gain the ability to survive even the strongest drugs available. The problem is relatively serious - the CDC reports that more than 70% of the bacteria that cause infections acquired in hospitals are now resistant to one or more of the drugs used to treat them. In addition, persons with resistant bacterial infections are more likely to have longer hospital stays and require treatment with stronger, more toxic drugs.

Researchers are working on strategies to combat this growing problem. The CDC currently provides hospitals with information and educational materials for health care providers to use in an attempt to reduce resistance in their facilities. The CDC suggests that proper use of antibiotics is the key to controlling antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and offers the following important tips as part of its "Get Smart - Know when Antibiotics Work" campaign:

When talking to a doctor about an illness, don't demand an antibiotic if the doctor decides that it is not the appropriate treatment.
Ask your doctor what other treatments, besides antibiotics, will help relieve symptoms.
Remember, antibiotics do not cure colds, coughs or viral infections, and should only be used when a doctor determines they are appropriate.
If an antibiotic is prescribed, take the entire dosage exactly as directed for the full course determined by a doctor, even if symptoms improve. Medication should not be saved for later use.
Never take an antibiotic prescribed for someone else.

Overall, the CDC stresses that antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses, and should only be used when they will be beneficial as determined by a doctor. For more information on antibiotic resistance and the proper use of antibiotic drugs, check out the following websites:

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