Caution When Using Antibiotic Medications

Six Rules to Follow When Using Antibiotic Medications! Antibiotics, which are essential for treating bacterial infections, cause the development of resistant bacteria in the human body when used unnecessarily and without proper control. Resistant bacteria lead to numerous health problems. To prevent the development of resistant bacteria and to pass on the effectiveness of antibiotics to future generations, these medications must be used consciously. Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Ulu Kılıç from the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology at Memorial Kayseri Hospital provided information about the problems caused by unconscious antibiotic use on the occasion of "18 November European Antibiotic Awareness Day."

Prescription requirement reduced usage

In recent years, thanks to the requirement for prescriptions when obtaining antibiotics from pharmacies in our country, antibiotic use has declined from 250 million boxes annually to 170 million boxes. However, Turkey still ranks among the countries with the highest antibiotic consumption in Europe. Antibiotics, which are vital for treating bacterial infections, create antibiotic resistance when used unnecessarily and without proper control, and diseases caused by resistant bacteria negatively affect the health of patients receiving treatment in intensive care units and those with weakened immune systems.

Antibiotic resistance a major health concern

Infectious diseases are an area where success is achieved with appropriate antimicrobial treatment. However, infectious diseases occurring both in the community and in hospitals cannot be treated as a result of inappropriate antimicrobial treatments and can result in death. Unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic use causes the development of resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance has become a major health problem worldwide.

Resistant bacteria cause infections

Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria result in increased disease and mortality rates and prolonged hospital stays, while treatment costs also increase. Antibiotic use can change normal bacterial flora in humans, which often leads to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and side effects such as diarrhea. When bacteria first encounter antibiotics, they learn to develop resistance. Over time, they transmit this resistance to one another.

Resistant infections could reach alarming proportions

Based on available data, deaths resulting from antibiotic-resistant infections are projected to reach 10 million people worldwide by 2050, and this figure could rise above deaths from cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, placing it at the top ranks. When considering this situation from a cost perspective, it is projected to impose an additional burden of 100 trillion dollars on the global economy. Follow these rules when using antibiotics! 1. Antibiotics should be started under physician supervision, and the duration and dosage of use should be determined by a specialist physician. 2. Antibiotics should be used in bacterial infections. 3. Antibiotics used under physician supervision should not be discontinued prematurely. 4. Broad-spectrum antibiotics should not be taken unless absolutely necessary. 5. To prevent resistance development, antibiotics should be taken at the same times every day. 6. Antibiotics eliminated from the body through the liver and kidneys can sometimes cause damage to these organs. In patients with kidney and liver disease, if antibiotic treatment is necessary, low-dose antibiotics or antibiotics that are not eliminated through the kidneys and liver should be preferred.

Antibiotics should be used rationally

Due to possible deaths and the burden on the health sector, the goal should be to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use. Reducing antibiotic use and lowering resistance rates is very important. The only way to stop the development of resistant bacteria and to sustain the effectiveness of antibiotics in future generations is through rational antibiotic use.