Antibiotic Resistance (cont.)
Diagnosis of antimicrobial drug resistance
Diagnostic tests are designed to determine which microbe is causing infection
and to which antimicrobials the microbe might be resistant. This information
would be used by a healthcare provider to choose an appropriate antimicrobial.
However, current diagnostic tests often take a few days to give results.
Oftentimes, healthcare providers need to make treatment decisions before the
results are known. While waiting for test results, healthcare providers may
prescribe a broad-spectrum antimicrobial when a more specific treatment might be
better. The common practice of treating unknown infections with broad-spectrum
antimicrobials is another factor in the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
Treatment of antimicrobial drug resistance
If you think you have an infection of any
type-bacterial, viral, or fungal-talk with your healthcare provider. Some
infections will resolve without medical intervention. Others will not and can
become extremely serious. Ear infections are a good example: Some
middle ear
infections are caused by a virus
and will get better without treatment; while other middle ear infections caused
by bacteria can cause perforated eardrums, or worse, if left untreated.
The decision to use antimicrobials should be left to
your healthcare provider. In some cases, antimicrobials will not shorten the
course of the disease, but they might reduce your chance of transmitting it to
others, as is the case with pertussis (whooping cough).
Antibiotics cannot fight against infections caused by viruses.
Antibiotics are appropriate to use when
- There is a known bacterial infection; or
- If the cause is unknown, then the consequences of not
treating a condition could be devastating (e.g., in early
meningitis).
Of note, the color of your sputum (saliva) does
not indicate whether
antibiotics are required. Most cases of bronchitis are caused by viruses;
therefore, a change in sputum color does not indicate a bacterial infection.
Next: Prevention of antimicrobial drug resistance »
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