Over use of Antibiotics may prove deadly

[Blondie]

Scary super bugs.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I saw this story on TV last week. It IS scary. And I also think we overuse all these antibacterial products(the gels and soaps). This WILL cause problems in our future. Those things do nothing for the viruses anyway! Use a plain wet wipe if you can't get to a sink to wash up.

 

[DocRafiki]

big DUH. they act like this is some new problem.

 

[Blondie]

I know there are several people I work with that get upset when their Pediatrician doesn't give them an RX for their kids runny nose or run-of-the-mill sore throat. It's it's not a sinus infection, an ear infection or strep throat, it's viral and all the Penicillin in the world isn't going to help.

Lots of people need to realize that, and the fact that over prescribed antibiotics are helping viruses become more resistent to medications.

 

[Disney Doll]

There are several contributing factors to this problem, which is a HUGE problem:

1. Some doctors who overprescribe antibiotics

2. Some patients who, when ill, go to their doctor and expect to get a pill. We are a "a pill will fix it" society. We take pills for everything...always looking for the quick fix.

3. All the antibacterial stuff that is out now. You don't need antibacterial soap, mouthwash, clothes detergent etc. In the normal course of a day,the average person doesn't contact any bacteria that will kill them. This does not include people who are immunocompromised, such as cancer patiens, HIV patients, post organ transplant patients etc. I am talking about the average reasonably healthy normal American.

Right now, there are bacteria that have no known antibiotic that will work against them. I know this because I have cared for patients in the hospital who have had these bacterial infections. We give a combination of several less ideal antibiotics and hope for the best.

 

[Blondie]

Disney Doll, isn't Tebromycin the last antibiotic we have to use against super bugs?

And am I correct that there haven't been any "new" antibiotics in several years?

 

[Disney Doll]

I haven't heard of Tebromycin. Is it very new??

I think the point of the article is good that instead of continuing to use antibiotics indiscriminately, we should scale back our use so we don't have to keep coming up with others to kill the "superbugs".

 

[Blondie]

Sorry Disney Doll, my typo, I meant Tobramycin.

 

[Kermit]

I try not to buy any antibacterial products at all, but it's hard to find products that aren't sometimes. The Wal-Mart I shop at doesn't carry any soft hand soap that's not antibacterial.

When we bought the matress for our crib a few weeks ago, the sales lady tried to get us to buy one that was staph-resistant. I don't even get that. The baby is going to be the only thing we put in the crib. It's highly unlikely that he'll catch something from himself. I can't imagine buying a matress that resists germs unless maybe you let the cat sleep in your baby's crib.

 

[EROS]

Hospitals ARE dangerous places!!!!!!!! Patients often complain about the shortened length of stay due to managed care; however, they're actually MUCH SAFER recovering at HOME than in a hospital setting where the risk of infection is much higher ...............

 

[DocRafiki]

To add to Disney Doll..

4. Patients not taking the full course of their antibiotics as prescribed (IMO the most significant as far as the individual patient is concerned)

5. Antibiotics in food animals. I'm actually glad you didn't mention this since for years many people have blamed this as the sole problem, when it really is miniscule compared to the others.


EROS... what do you know? I hear you're not even a doctor!

 

[EROS]

Originally posted by DocRafiki



EROS... what do you know? I hear you're not even a doctor!

Doc, the rumors that I actually run a Porn Shop in downtown Boston are highly "exaggerated" ..........