give antibiotics before trip??

[minkydog]

I had forgotten that aspect. When I was a child my mom took me to the Dr. for every cold and sniffle. I was always given a penicillin shot & pills for the next week...it was the wonder drug then. Now I have an allergies to penicillin, amoxicillin, erythromiocin, and tetrycycillin (I can't spell, but you get the idea). A couple of years ago my cat was on amoxicillin. I was giving her meds to her and she shook her head. A small drop landed on my lip and, without thinking, I licked it off (hey, my hands were still full of MAD cat). Boy was I sorry for doing that! It was Christmas Day and I had to sit there with the whole family, swollen face and itching everywhere.

Unfortunately this was a very popular way of treating illness back in the 50s & 60s. Penicillin was discovered during WWII and at first was primarily used in military hospitals. It turned out to be such a wonder drug that it became the drug of choice for every illness. There are probably millions of baby boomers walking around who remember getting a shot of penicillin every time they stepped into the family doctor's office. Consequently, there are also millions who became allergic to it, became cross-sensitive to other drugs, or became immune to certain antibiotics resulting in the need for more powerful & more expensive ones. This gross over-use of antibiotics in the past is what is driving the medical establishment to re-think the whole issue of when to use them.

One of the most difficult illnessed to treat is MRSA, Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus. Staph germs are very common; everyone has a few on their skin, up there nose,etc. It only causes a problem when it gets into a break in the skin. Then it can cause a host of skin infections, blood infections, etc. MRSA used to only be found in severely ill hospitalized patients, but now it has become common out in the real world. The M in MRSA represents one of the most powerful penicillins, Methicillin. If a bug is resistant to this most effective drug, you're in big trouble. There are only a few drugs which will beat MRSA and they are expensive and have a lot of side effects.

What doctors know now is that judicious use of antibiotics when there is bacterial infection is the best way to manage illness. They didn't know back then that there would be such long-reaching effects of indiscriminate antibiotic usage. Sixty percent of all ear infections are resistant to Amoxicillin, one of the front line drugs for otitis media. Many ear & throat infections are viral anyway; they won't respond to an antibiotic no matter what. The Academy of Pediatrics came out with a statement a couple years ago outlining a new way of treating infections.

Here's a link to the Centers for Disease Control. It's a great site with tons of info,not only about ear infections,but bird flu, West Nile, Chronic Fatigue, HIV and othe nasties.
http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/know-and-do.htm

Off my soapbox now. Good luck to the OP.
Cathy,RN

 

[Steve's Girl]

My Dr. does prescribe a broad sprctrum antibiotic. Never even mentioned a culture though, even when I asked if there was anything we could do besides antibiotics.

We've tried chiropractic (not suggested by our dr.), using a daily allergy medication (to keep the ears dry),load him up on decongestants when he has a cold, and ear candeling (also not suggested by our dr). And when he is on antibiotics I also give him acidophililus. Do you know of any other things I could be doing to PREVENT ear infections. He eats healthy, naps, but every time he gets a cold he gets an ear infection. It makes me sick having to give him any more antibiotics (as he has taken many in the last year) but I don't know what else to do if he gets an infection. I'm all for the natural healing abilities of the body, but when he has a fever of 102 and is in so much pain I would do anything to help him feel better (and so far that's been taking him to the dr-where they give him yet another antibiotic). Any suggestions on preventing infections?

(Sorry to the OP for taking ove the thread)

2 of my kids ended up having tubes. We really agonized over the decision, but that ended up being a better alternative than having them on meds all the time.

 

[twinkletoesmom]

2 of my kids ended up having tubes. We really agonized over the decision, but that ended up being a better alternative than having them on meds all the time.

my oldest also had many ear infections (like over 20 between 6-18 mo) we did the tubes and I think she has 3 since.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

I'm glad to know that most people out there do know the reality- we shouldn't be overusing antibiotics anymore- they aren't a 'miracle' and resistance is developing.

Exactly! I'm impressed the overwhelming majority of responders know the dangers involved. However, so many people also suggested frequent handwashing which is great unless you're using antibacterial soap. Same problem with handwipes and Purell! These antibacterial products are really overused! I just wanted to give you all something to ponder!

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Exactly! I'm impressed the overwhelming majority of responders know the dangers involved. However, so many people also suggested frequent handwashing which is great unless you're using antibacterial soap. Same problem with handwipes and Purell! These antibacterial products are really overused! I just wanted to give you all something to ponder!

I have thought the same thing about antibacterial soaps and Purell, but often people look at me like I'm crazy, especially the DHS people when they come into my classroom and see 2 soaps,the antibacterial I must use for the kids and the regular I use for me.

 

[ferris198]

One of the most difficult illnessed to treat is MRSA, Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus. Staph germs are very common; everyone has a few on their skin, up there nose,etc. It only causes a problem when it gets into a break in the skin. Then it can cause a host of skin infections, blood infections, etc. MRSA used to only be found in severely ill hospitalized patients, but now it has become common out in the real world. The M in MRSA represents one of the most powerful penicillins, Methicillin. If a bug is resistant to this most effective drug, you're in big trouble. There are only a few drugs which will beat MRSA and they are expensive and have a lot of side effects.

What doctors know now is that judicious use of antibiotics when there is bacterial infection is the best way to manage illness. They didn't know back then that there would be such long-reaching effects of indiscriminate antibiotic usage. Sixty percent of all ear infections are resistant to Amoxicillin, one of the front line drugs for otitis media. Many ear & throat infections are viral anyway; they won't respond to an antibiotic no matter what. The Academy of Pediatrics came out with a statement a couple years ago outlining a new way of treating infections.

Cathy,RN

Thanks for the info about MRSA.
3 weeks ago tonight, my mother had to be rushed to hospital via ambulance as we thought she was having a heart attack.
She had been on Eurythromicin ? to treat an infection that she got through an outbreak of Ezema.
When the panic died down and it was discovered she was not having a heart attack, it appeared as thougth that it may have been a blocked intestine, and that surgery was going to be required.
Futher testing revealed that is was in fact an MRSA infection that she had,
and the Eurythromicin had caused a reactioni that mimics a heart attack.
Once the MRSA was discovered she was put in isolation, and on a different antibiotic.
She was in isolation for 4 days when the infection specialist gave her the all clear to go home.

 

[SueM in MN]

Agreeing with minkydog about the problem with MRSA and how it developed.

Exactly! I'm impressed the overwhelming majority of responders know the dangers involved. However, so many people also suggested frequent handwashing which is great unless you're using antibacterial soap. Same problem with handwipes and Purell! These antibacterial products are really overused! I just wanted to give you all something to ponder!

I was also surprised that sp many people have posted about the dangers.

A bit of clarification though.
Antibacterial soap is a problem because most of the antibacterial ingredients in the soap work in a similar way/mechanism to antibiotics. There is evidence that use of those can contribute to resistance.

The active ingredient in Purell and similar antimicrobial handrubs is alcohol, which has been used as an antiseptic for many years without any evidence that it contributes to resistance. Antimicrobial handwipes that contain alcohol as an active ingredient are not a problem, but they don't do as good a job of removing germs as the alcohol handrubs (it's hard to get the right amount of contact time with the wipes).

 

[Ferrillo]

Would you give you'r healty kids antibiotics before the trip as an insurance?

So I took my son to the Dr. today for an ear infection and I noticed that I have one refill before next year (kinda weird but anyways) I was thinking of starting my kids on it a few days before my trip because it is one of my worst fears that my kids will get sick at disney. Now i know that most things are viral and an anti. won't help but since my kids never react bad to anti, at all is there any reason why I shouldn't give it to them?

What are you trying to treat? OK so you know that most infections are viral. Did you also know that antibiotics can cause secondary infections that are much more dangerous than the infection? Did you also know that antibiotics can make viral infections last longer? Not to mention the resistance that your child buids to antibiotics every time they take them. I too worry about my children getting sick. There are walkins in florida that will give the appropriate antibiotic should your child need that.