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Misuse of Antibiotics

Introduction

Antibiotics were once considered "wonder drugs." These drugs have been used for decades to effectively treat a variety of bacterial infections.  If left untreated many of these bacterial infections would have been deadly.

Unfortunately, because of worldwide overuse and misuse of antibiotics, common bacteria are becoming resistant to treatment with these drugs. This misuse is a major cause for alarm because, without treatment, many of these bacteria have once again become deadly. The good news is that we know how and why bacteria become resistant and there are things that both health care providers and their patients can do to prevent the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. The following case studies provide a basic insight into this problem and recommend prevention strategies.