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Doctor Warns Antibiotic Misuse Could Make Infections Untreatable

This Common Antibiotic Habit Could Make Future Infections Untreatable, Shares Doctor · NDTV

Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacteria, not viruses.

Many colds, flu cases and some other illnesses are caused by viruses.

Taking antibiotics without medical advice can mean using the wrong medicine or dose.

Stopping early because you feel better may also leave an infection improperly treated.

Bacteria can become resistant, meaning the medicine may stop working against them.

That can make future infections harder to treat.

Doctors need to know which antibiotics you have taken recently.

Patients should not share antibiotics or use leftover tablets.

Keeping a record of medicines and contacting a doctor about side effects can make treatment safer.

Key facts

Global resistance, 2023: WHO estimates that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections globally was resistant to antibiotic treatment.
Deaths associated with bacterial AMR: Bacterial antimicrobial resistance was associated with more than 4.7 million deaths worldwide in 2021, according to WHO.
Regional resistance, 2023: About one in three reported bacterial infections in the WHO South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions were resistant to antibiotics.
Antibiotic purpose: Antibiotics work against bacterial infections, not viral illnesses such as most colds and flu.
Risky practices: Using another person’s prescription, taking leftover medicine or stopping treatment independently can lead to inappropriate treatment.
Recommended records: Patients should note the antibiotic name, reason for use, dose, duration and any reactions.

NDTV · 1 hr ago