Centers for Disease Control Advises:
Know When Antibiotics Work

In September 2003, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched a new national program called, “Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work.” This education program is aimed at reducing the overuse of antibiotics that has become a public health concern over the last decade. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed poses serious health risks.

Although the CDC’s program only addresses health issues and not cost, reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics can have the added benefit of saving money for employees and employers. It is estimated that as much as 20 percent of the money spent on antibiotics is wasted because the antibiotic is being used for colds or flu that antibiotics cannot help.

According to the CDC, improper use of antibiotics causes some bacteria to become resistant to treatment. Resistant bacteria are dangerous because they are stronger and harder to kill. Children are a particular concern because they have the highest rates of antibiotic use. They also have the highest rate of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. When a common antibiotic cannot kill resistant bacteria, more costly and serious treatment is needed, sometimes even hospitalization.

Here are some questions and answers provided by the CDC.

When are antibiotics the right treatment?
Most illnesses are caused by two kinds of germs: bacteria and viruses. Antibiotics cure bacterial infections not viral infections.

When are antibiotics NOT the right treatment?
Antibiotics should not be used for viral infections since:
• Antibiotics will NOT cure a viral infection.
• Antibiotics will NOT help you feel better sooner from your viral infection.
• Antibiotics will NOT keep others from catching your viral infection.

What common illnesses are caused by viruses and should NOT be treated
with antibiotics?
Antibiotics will do nothing for the following viral illnesses:
• The common cold, runny nose, and sneezing
• Most coughs and bronchitis
• The flu
• Sore throats (except strep throat)

Even if an antibiotic doesn’t help my cold or flu, what’s the harm in trying an antibiotic just in case?
Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can be harmful. Each time a person takes an antibiotic he or she is more likely to carry resistant germs in the nose and throat. Common antibiotics cannot kill these resistant germs. Antibiotics that are more costly, are given by a needle, or in some cases, administered in the hospital, may eventually be needed.

If nasal mucous changes from clear to yellow or green, doesn’t that mean that an antibiotic is needed?
Not necessarily, these color changes are a normal for a viral cold.

Does this mean an antibiotic should never be taken?
Antibiotics are very strong medicines and should be used to treat bacterial infections. Doctors or health care providers will prescribe antibiotics if a person has a bacterial infection like strep throat, certain pneumonias, and certain sinus infections. Ask the doctor if antibiotics will help, but don’t expect or insist on an antibiotic prescription. The doctor may recommend other treatments that can relieve the symptoms of viral infections. Remember, a cold may take two weeks or longer to run its course.

When prescribed an antibiotic, take the entire prescription as directed; don’t stop when feeling better. Do not use an antibiotic that was prescribed for someone else.

Additional information about antibiotic use and resistance can be obtained at the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community.

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