Antibiotics are a form of medicine used to help fight infections caused by bacteria in humans. Antibiotics work by either killing the bacteria or making it harder for the bacteria to multiply and grow.
 
Antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria, such as strep throat, urinary tract infection (UTI), and whooping cough.
 
Antibiotics are also used for treating life-threatening conditions, particularly if bacteria is the cause. These conditions include sepsis, where the body has an extreme response to an infection or pneumonia.
 
Antibiotics have been used for many years, since as early as the 1940s, and they have significantly reduced illness and deaths due to infectious diseases. But antibiotics aren’t always the answer.

When antibiotics are overprescribed, or patients do not follow the prescribed instructions, bacteria can become resistant to the antibiotic. This means the bacteria are not stopped or killed by the drugs designed to destroy them and, as a result, continue to grow. It is estimated that 1.27 million deaths worldwide result from antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic stewardship is the commitment to improving when and which antibiotics are prescribed. Fine-tuning antibiotics prescribed and educating patients on the importance of following prescribed guidelines when taking them is the best way to treat infections and reduce antibiotic resistance.
 
Here are a few facts from the CDC Be Antibiotics Aware
 
1. Antibiotics can save lives, but being sick doesn’t mean you need them.
2. Taking antibiotics when they aren’t needed could have harmful side effects.
3. Antibiotics do not work against viruses like colds, flu, runny noses, or bronchitis.
4. Respiratory infections caused by a virus usually go away in two weeks without treatment.
5. Ask your primary healthcare professional for recommendations to feel better while fighting a virus
6. Antibiotics can create resistance in bacteria. Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed.
7. Taking antibiotics incorrectly increases the chances that bacteria will become resistant to the antibiotic.

For more information on antibiotic prescribing and use, please visit the CDC.