HealthWatch-Antibiotics awareness

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Next week is Antibiotics Awareness Week. It’s probably not something you think about, but Monument Health pharmacist Mallory McGree has some ideas on why you should in this week’s edition of HealthWatch.

“Antibiotics are important life-saving drugs for bacterial infections and patients who develop a condition called sepsis. We want our current antibiotics to be effective for our generation and future generations to come -- so we need to be smart about how we use these important drugs. Unfortunately, there are a number of risks with antibiotic therapy. We are still learning about our bodies natural protective bacteria which you may have heard called the microbiome. The antibiotics that we use to treat infections will harm the natural bacteria which could put us at risk for more infections or complications. Antibiotics also have side effects such as dizziness, nausea, yeast infections, or a severe infectious diarrhea, caused by Clostridioides difficile (commonly called C diff.). We have learned over time that if antibiotics are over prescribed, resistance of the bacteria to our drugs can occur. There are not currently many new antibiotics being developed so it is important to use our current agents wisely to conserve them. Our mission is to use the appropriate antimicrobial when indicated at the right dose for the correct duration of therapy. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention promotes an annual initiative termed ‘Antibiotic Awareness Week’ aimed at educating both healthcare providers and patients on the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. This year Antibiotic Awareness Week is November 18th through 24th. More information may be found on the CDC website. For your KEVN Healthwatch, I’m Mallory McGee.”

Copyright 2023 KEVN. All rights reserved.