Antibiotics are powerful medicines that fight bacterial infections. Used properly, antibiotics can save lives. They either kill bacteria or keep them from reproducing. Your body's natural defenses can usually take it from there.
Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, such as
- Colds
- Flu
- Most coughs and bronchitis
- Sore throats, unless caused by strep
If a virus is making you sick, taking antibiotics may do more harm than good. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will be able to resist them. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.
When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. It is important to finish your medicine even if you feel better. Do not save antibiotics for later or use someone else's prescription.
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Antibiotics: When They Can and Can't Help(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/protect/680.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/infections/protect/680.printerview.html
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Antimicrobial (Antibiotic) Resistance
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/AntimicrobialResistance/
- Antibiotics(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch192/ch192a.html
- Antibiotics: Use Them Wisely(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/antibiotics/FL00075/METHOD=print
- Antibiotics for Preterm Labor Linked to Cerebral Palsy(09/18/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69449.html
- Antibacterial Agents(Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics) - http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/Q&A/Q&A_antibacterials.html
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Antibiotic Resistance(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/antibiotics.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/Spanish/antibiotics-Spanish.html
- Antibiotic Safety(Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) - Links to PDF - http://www.apic.org/AM/AMTemplate.cfm?Section=Brochures&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=2555
- Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/antibiotic-associated-diarrhea/DS00454/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Antimicrobial (Antibiotic) Resistance: Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/antimicrobialResistance/Examples/vre/default.htm
- Combating Antibiotic Resistance(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/antibiotics050108.html
- Diseases Connected to Antibiotic Resistance(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/diseases.htm
- General Information about Clostridium difficile Infections(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/id_CdiffFAQ_general.html
- Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/
- Penicillin Allergy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/penicillin-allergy/DS00620/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Snort, Sniffle, Sneeze: No Antibiotics, Please(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/know-and-do.htm
- What Can Be Done about Antibiotic Resistance?(Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics) - http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/Q&A/Q&A_action.html
- Animation of Antimicrobial Resistance(Food and Drug Administration) - Requires media player - http://www.fda.gov/cvm/antiresistvideo.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Anti-Bacterial Agents(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=%22Anti-Bacterial+Agents%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Antibiotic Resistance(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=%22antibiotic+resistance%22
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New Strategies Take on Antibiotic Resistance(National Institute of General Medical Sciences) - http://www.nigms.nih.gov/News/Results/brief_20050427.htm
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794181&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: By the way, doctor. I was treated for two weeks... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18777657&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Wiping out the bacteria that cause peptic ulcers. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18767229&tool=MedlinePlus
- Antibiotics -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(anti-bacterial+agents[majr]+NOT+drug+resistance,microbial[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text])+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Antibiotic resistance -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=drug+resistance,microbial[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Prophylactic use of antibiotics -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=antibiotic+prophylaxis[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Antibiotic / Antimicrobial Resistance Glossary(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/glossary.htm
- Antibiotics & Resistance: Glossary(Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics) - http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/Miscellaneous/Glossary.html
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
- Food and Drug Administration - http://www.fda.gov/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- Danger of Antibiotic Overuse(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/antibiotic_overuse.html
- Antibiotics and Pregnancy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/antibiotics-and-pregnancy/AN01145/METHOD=print
- Medicines - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medicines.html
- MRSA - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mrsa.html
- Drug Therapy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugtherapy.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Antibiotics is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/