Antibiotics: A Dangerous Pandemic of Overuse (1 Viewer)

nerdasdasd

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EPOCH TIMES: http://m.theepochtimes.com/n3/1080017-antibiotics-a-dangerous-pandemic-of-overuse/

"The World Health Organization (WHO) recently noted that antibiotic overuse is “a problem so serious that it threatens the achievements of modern medicine.

While necessary in some cases, antibiotics are often overused in medicine and dentistry. They are also widely used in agriculture and have become environmental pollutants.

For example, antibiotics have been used to such excess in meat production that residues now saturate regional water tables and permeate the food chains of native wildlife species, found researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill."


THE ECONOMIST- http://www.economist.com/news/scien...stance-futile?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/bl/vi/antibodies

"In America alone, at least 2m illnesses a year—and 23,000 deaths—are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Besides the human suffering this inflicts, it adds $20 billion to the annual cost of health care. The toll is such that, in September, Barack Obama directed federal agencies to take action against antibiotic-resistant bacteria."
 

Queenroot

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I don't get it. You can only get antibiotics when you go to the doctor. And the doctor will only prescribe them if you have an infection. If you have an infection you need antibiotics. Or you die.

So I don't think people really over-use them. We just need a medicine to kill these new superbugs.
No
 

OzKo

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I don't get it. You can only get antibiotics when you go to the doctor. And the doctor will only prescribe them if you have an infection. If you have an infection you need antibiotics. Or you die.

So I don't think people really over-use them. We just need a medicine to kill these new superbugs.
They prescribe anti-biotics if they think you might have an infection.

It has been used as a catch-all solution for years.
 

RealiseNothing

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I don't get it. You can only get antibiotics when you go to the doctor. And the doctor will only prescribe them if you have an infection. If you have an infection you need antibiotics. Or you die.

So I don't think people really over-use them. We just need a medicine to kill these new superbugs.
u fkn wat
 

nerdasdasd

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I don't get it. You can only get antibiotics when you go to the doctor. And the doctor will only prescribe them if you have an infection. If you have an infection you need antibiotics. Or you die.

So I don't think people really over-use them. We just need a medicine to kill these new superbugs.
M9

The body has capabilities of defending itself from infections and diseases .... You don't need to use medicine all the time
 

SuchSmallHands

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I don't get it. You can only get antibiotics when you go to the doctor. And the doctor will only prescribe them if you have an infection. If you have an infection you need antibiotics. Or you die.

So I don't think people really over-use them. We just need a medicine to kill these new superbugs.
People are prescribed antibiotics for non-fatal infections regularly. I think they're given out pretty discerningly in Australia, I'm immuno-suppressed and even I probably only take one course in the average two or three years. However they are prescribed a lot more readily in other parts of the world. I took two courses in the space of two months in France, and no one thought this was odd. The family I stayed with took a similar amount for minor complaints like common colds. Prescription habits like that do raise concern about the development of antibiotic resistant infections.
 

OzKo

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People are prescribed antibiotics for non-fatal infections regularly. I think they're given out pretty discerningly in Australia, I'm immuno-suppressed and even I probably only take one course in the average two or three years. However they are prescribed a lot more readily in other parts of the world. I took two courses in the space of two months in France, and no one thought this was odd. The family I stayed with took a similar amount for minor complaints like common colds. Prescription habits like that do raise concern about the development of antibiotic resistant infections.
Naturally this doesn't count for all doctors, but this pretty much sums up the issue.

Doctors want patients to continue visiting them so they prescribe antibiotics if the patient asks for it.

The doctors don't care because it's an easy solution, the patients don't care because it makes them feel secure, and the pharmaceutical companies don't care because money is money.

It's great to see this issue getting more media coverage the past few years, but old habits die hard.
 

nerdasdasd

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Naturally this doesn't count for all doctors, but this pretty much sums up the issue.

Doctors want patients to continue visiting them so they prescribe antibiotics if the patient asks for it.

The doctors don't care because it's an easy solution, the patients don't care because it makes them feel secure, and the pharmaceutical companies don't care because money is money.

It's great to see this issue getting more media coverage the past few years, but old habits die hard.
Antibiotics should only taken for life threatening situations, not for the common flu or anything..
 

SuchSmallHands

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Naturally this doesn't count for all doctors, but this pretty much sums up the issue.

Doctors want patients to continue visiting them so they prescribe antibiotics if the patient asks for it.

The doctors don't care because it's an easy solution, the patients don't care because it makes them feel secure, and the pharmaceutical companies don't care because money is money.

It's great to see this issue getting more media coverage the past few years, but old habits die hard.
If a patient is under the impression that they need antibiotics for every infection because 'it just might save their life' they'll have no problem doctor shopping to find the ones that hand out prescriptions, you're right. I think it's more a problem with public education, resulting in people putting pressure on doctors to prescribe or lose their business, than doctors themselves over prescribing because they think it's the right thing to do.
 

Queenroot

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u will die with infenction, trust me

please everyone if you think you have an infection go get some antibiotics, it may JUST save your life.
ROFL

Please complete the HSC biology course ASAP
 

SuchSmallHands

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Antibiotics should only taken for life threatening situations, not for the common flu or anything..
I don't think that's really appropriate either. There's no point making someone just deal with a bad chest infection that, while perhaps not fatal, can leave permanent pulmonary fibrosis. If we can treat non-fatal infections that severely disrupt quality of life and can leave permanent damage I think we should. However the flu and common cold are viral, not bacterial, so antibiotics can't actually treat them anyway and they absolutely shouldn't be used for that.
 

Queenroot

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I don't think that's really appropriate either. There's no point making someone just deal with a bad chest infection that, while perhaps not fatal, can leave permanent pulmonary fibrosis. If we can treat non-fatal infections that severely disrupt quality of life and can leave permanent damage I think we should. However the flu and common cold are viral, not bacterial, so antibiotics can't actually treat them anyway and they absolutely shouldn't be used for that.
Basically unless it is absolutely necessary to a person's well-being, I don't think it should be taken. E.g. I had TB, it was life or death, so I took antibiotics. But I see people taking antibiotics for the flu, despite it being viral, and basically anything that they know will make them lose a few days of work/school. IMO it's stupid and makes it worse for the people around them. They could potentially harbor superbugs if they aren't taken correctly.
It's a quick fix thing, and it shouldn't be taken so lightly. I don't think people understand the consequences and really need to be educated about antibiotic resistance.
 

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Haven't taken antibiotics since I got bronchitis in 2008. I'm simply one of those people who dislike taking medication (not even Panadol) except for the stuff that stops diarrhea because that shit nasty

Meanwhile my hypochondriac of a mother lives by them
 

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