Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Doctor Warns Antibiotic Misuse Could Make Infections Untreatable
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.
Patients should tell doctors about every recent antibiotic, including leftover or self-prescribed medicines.
Antibiotics treat bacterial infections but do not work against viral illnesses such as most colds and flu.
Incorrect antibiotic choice, dose or duration can contribute to antimicrobial resistance and delay proper treatment.
The World Health Organization says one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections globally was resistant to antibiotics in 2023.
Patients are advised to record an antibiotic’s name, reason for use, dose, duration and any side effects.
- Who
- Patients, doctors and the World Health Organization are central to the report; Dr J. Kirtana provided the medical comments.
- What
- The report warns that antibiotic self-medication, misuse and incomplete treatment can contribute to antimicrobial resistance and affect future treatment choices.
- When
- The report cites WHO data from 2021 and 2023; it does not provide a publication date.
- Where
- The medical comments came from Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, while the resistance figures refer to global data and the WHO South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
- Why
- Previous antibiotic use can influence which medicines may work, while inappropriate use can help microorganisms become resistant.
- 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.