Antibiotics Resistance Questions & Answers
This information is based on CDC website and is part of the OSAP Antibiotics Resistance Tool Kit.
Antibiotics and similar drugs, together called antimicrobial agents, have been used for the last 70 years to treat patients who have infectious diseases. Since the 1940s, these drugs have greatly reduced illness and death from infectious diseases. Antibiotic use has been beneficial and, when prescribed and taken correctly, their value in patient care is enormous. However, these drugs have been used so widely and for so long that the infectious organisms the antibiotics are designed to kill have adapted to them, making the drugs less effective. Many fungi, viruses, and parasites have done the same. Some microorganisms may develop resistance to a single antimicrobial agent (or related class of agent), while others develop resistance to several antimicrobial agents or classes. These organisms are often referred to as multidrug-resistant or MDR strains. In some cases, the microorganisms have become so resistant that no available antibiotics are effective against them.
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Nice pdf for downloading and printing. Must make it essential reading for all support staff in a medical or dental office. Too bad that Triclosan is taking a bad rep for the entire spectrum of antibiotic resistance out there. Used correctly and in the right dose and regimen, Triclosan can be beneficial in reducing oral bacteria that contribute to gum disease and early decay.