Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Bacteria that causes infections are remarkably resilient and can develop ways to survive drugs meant to kill or weaken them. Drug-Resistant Bacteria results largely from the increasing use of antibiotics and are a skyrocketing public health problem. Nearly all significant bacterial infections in the world are becoming resistant to the most commonly prescribed antibiotic treatments resulting in a global health crisis.

Some research has shown that antibiotics are given to patients more often than guidelines set by federal and other healthcare organizations recommend. Also, patients who are prescribed antibiotics but don't take the full dosing regimen can contribute to drug-resistance.

Unless drug-resistant bacteria problems are detected as they emerge, and actions are taken to contain them, the global community will face the crisis of previously treatable diseases becoming untreatable, as in the days before antibiotics were developed.

Fast Facts:

Slang: Superbug
Most problematic: MRSA
Most vulnerable: Children are of particular concern as they have the highest rates of antibiotic use
Children have the highest rate of infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria
Many pediatricians succumb to parent pressure to prescribe antibiotics
Misuse of antibiotics jeopardizes the usefulness

Prevention:

Wash your hands frequently
Use antibiotics ONLY when they are likely to be beneficial—not for cold or flu
Don’t demand antibiotics from your physician when they are not needed

Wisdom:

Anti-bacterial products are no more effective than plain soap and water and can actually increase the problem
Yellow or green mucus does NOT automatically mean you need an antibiotic

Disclaimer: The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you have a Drug-Resistant Bacteria illness, please consult your doctor.

Categories

Health | Diseases

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Also try: Superbug | MRSA - Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

The Mahalo Top 7

FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research: Antimicrobial Resistance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Antibiotic & Antimicrobial Resistance
Wikipedia: Antibiotic Resistance
Official Site: Alliance For The Prudent Use Of Antibiotics
The Why Files: What Doesn't Kill Them Makes Them Stronger
PDF: Congressional Quarterly Report Fighting Superbugs (August 24, 2007)
YouTube Video: Antibiotic Resistance for Idiots (Time: 9:53)

Drug-Resistant Bacteria News

Google News: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Search
National Geographic: Alligator Blood May Lead to Powerful New Antibiotics (April 7, 2008)
Bloomberg.com: Clay May Help Fight Drug-Resistant Germs.. (April 6, 2008)
HealthDay: Green Tea Boosts Antibiotics for Superbugs (March 31, 2008)
ScienceDaily: MRSA In Hospital Intensive Care: What's Growing Where? (March 31, 2008)
PhysOrg.com: Researcher Studies Drug-Resistant Bacteria in Environment (March 19, 2008)
Los Angeles Times: Superbug Staph Screening Praised (March 18, 2008)

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Facts

CDC: Questions About Antibiotic Resistance | Facts About Antibiotic Resistance
WebMD: Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
Alliance For The Prudent Use Of Antibiotics: Consumer Information
ScienceDaily: Antibiotic Resistance
American Academy of Family Physicians: What is "Bacterial Resistance"?
Scientific American: Bacteria That Snack on Antibiotics
FOXNews.com: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found in Arctic (January 25, 2008)
LiveScience: What is a Superbug? (October 30, 2007)

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Complexities and Complications

CDC: About Antibiotic Resistance
San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Gay Community an Epicenter for New Strain of.. (January 15, 2008)
Baylor College of Medicine: Subtle Changes Mark Common Drug-Resistant Bacteria (November 19, 2007)
National Public Radio: Study Finds Drug-Resistant Bacteria Are Mixing (October 16, 2007)
FDA Consumer: Battle of the Bugs—Fighting Antibiotic Resistance (July-August 2002)
MedicineNet: Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB)

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Treatment Options

Newsday: Experimental Vaccine Seen as Hope Against MRSA (April 3, 2008)
PhysOrg.com: Key to Controlling Drug Resistant Bacteria (February 18, 2008)
CBS News: A Drug-Resistant Bacteria Breakthrough? (July 13, 2007)
Slate: Bug Zappers—The Best Futuristic Ideas for Killing Drug-Resistant Bacteria (July 12, 2007)
SUNY University at Buffalo: PDT Kills Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Fungus in Lab (March 10, 2006)

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Holistic and Alternative Treatment

Federation of Chinese American and Chinese Canadian Medical Societies: Antibiotic Resistance
Wikipedia: Phage Therapy
ScienceDaily: Green Tea Helps Beat Superbugs, Study Suggests (April 1, 2008)
ScienceDaily: Amphibian Skin Agent May Battle Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria (January 23, 2008)
Amazon.com: Herbal Antibiotics—Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Prevention

MayoClinic.com: MRSA: Understand Your Risk and How to Prevent Infection (October 30, 2007)
City Room (NYT): Best Defense Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria—Wash Your Hands (October 26, 2007)
WebMD: Plain Soap as Good as Antibacterial (August 17, 2007)
CDC: How You Can Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance
CDC: Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare Settings
CDC: Prevention and Control of Community-Associated MRSA

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Scientific and Medical Journal Articles

Journal of the American Medical Association: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Search
PubMed Central: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Search
Google Scholar: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Search

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Studies
CenterWatch: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Clinical Trials

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Support Groups

MRSA Resources: MRSA Resources Community
CureZone.com: MRSA Support Forum—Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
DailyStrength: MRSA Support Group
Yahoo Groups: Stop MRSA Now

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Discussion and Blogs

HealthBoards: MRSA Discussion
TheRubins.com: Drug Resistant Bacteria (April 3, 2008)
Kandylini’s: The End of Antibiotics (March 30, 2008)
Laser Eye Surgery: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Poses Growing Threat to LASIK Patients (March 28, 2008)
About Antibiotics: Reducing Antibiotic Use Lowers Rates of Drug-Resistant Bacteria (March 17, 2008)
Chronicle Podcasts (SFC): Growing Problem of Drug-Resistant Diseases and What.. (January 14, 2008)

Related Pages on Mahalo

Staph Infection | Antibiotics | Bacterial Infections | Bacteria | Superbug | MRSA - Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus | Gay MRSA Outbreak | MRSA Symptoms

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