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Evolution and Antibiotic Resistance: Survey
----1. Have you taken any antibiotics in the past year? Why were antibiotics prescribed for you? did you or your doctor know that you had a bacterial infection?

----2. Did you take the medication at the dosages and intervals prescribed and take it for the entire recommended course of treatment? if not, why not?

----3. do you know why it is important to finish all prescriptions, even if your symptoms have cleared up?

---- 4. Do you think antibiotics are overprescribed by doctors? Explain.


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2007-02-14 15:32:53 · 17 answers · asked by the common cold 4 in Science & Mathematics Medicine

i need at least 10 people to answer this servey. Please do not do any research on question 3. Answer honestly please! thanks!!!

2007-02-14 15:35:03 · update #1

17 answers

Evolution and Antibiotic Resistance: Survey
----1. Have you taken any antibiotics in the past year? Why were antibiotics prescribed for you? did you or your doctor know that you had a bacterial infection?
Yes, it was called Augmentin and it was prescribed for synusitis. I was not tested for bacterial infection, but rather the doctor considered that my smpthoms were too persistent.

----2. Did you take the medication at the dosages and intervals prescribed and take it for the entire recommended course of treatment? if not, why not?
No, because it was giving me incredible intestinal probelms (augmentin is a wide-range antibiotic)

----3. do you know why it is important to finish all prescriptions, even if your symptoms have cleared up?
Becaue you might have some residual bacteria which are not enough in number to cause illness, but that, if left untreated, could become resistant and rekindle the infection.

---- 4. Do you think antibiotics are overprescribed by doctors? Explain.
I think they are as it is an easy fix!. I am not against antibiotics in principle, but sometimes it would be better to perform preliminary tests to check which strain of bacteria is infecting the system and to which antibiotics they would be sensitive.

2007-02-14 23:10:04 · answer #1 · answered by Jesus is my Savior 7 · 0 0

1. yes...it was a bacteria that was gram-stain positive, so it was treated with penicillin.
2. yes...it's very important to remember to take all of the medication prescribed. I took 1 tablet three times daily, so I made sure I took it roughly every 8 hours. I did this because I know that taking your antibiotic consistently will help to relieve the infection better.
3. you need to make sure that all of the infection is gone. otherwise, it could reoccur, and/or you could pass it on to someone else.
4. yes...there are many bacterial infections that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. that right there is proof that antibiotics are being overprescribed. if you have a cold, don't beg your doctor for an antibiotic. a cold is a viral infection that can't be treated with penicillin, clindamycin, etc., and you just have to let it take it's course. if you have a fever, take Tylenol or Advil, and suck on some throat lozenges. you shouldn't run to the doctor and demand amoxicillin or something. that's exactly how bacteria is becoming resistant to antibiotics.

2007-02-14 16:16:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

!) I took two courses of antibiotics in the past year:
antibiotic eye drops for bacterial conjunctivitis and
oral antibiotics for an infection; my physician took a culture of
the exudate from the infection to determine its cause.
2) I am a person with a medical background, and I did use and
take the medicines exactly as prescribed and for the entire
recommended course.
3) It is important to finish the entire prescription in order that the
bacteria producing the problem be totally eliminated and not
recur shortly requiring another course of treatment.
4) In some cases they are, particularly if prescribed for a viral
infection or because the patient asks.
Overuse of antibiotics tends to lead to the evolution of
resistent strains of bacteria which current antibiotics can not
eradicate.

2007-02-14 15:59:27 · answer #3 · answered by Lynci 7 · 0 0

1-- I have not taken any antibiotics for myself this past year.
But, as a nurse, I know antibiotics should only be prescribed for bacterial infections, not viral infections.
2-- I tell my patients & friends to take the dose they were prescribed for the full amount of time.
3-- It is extremely important to finish the whole course of the antibiotic to ensure that it kills all of the bacteria. Bacteria are smart & will hide if able to. If you stop the antibiotic too soon, the bacteria will mutate into a stronger strain that becomes resistant to treatment.
4-- I do not know that antibiotics are overprescribed, personally. I work in a hospital, & depending on the culture results of a patient's infection, determines which antibiotic the patient will be given. Although, a patient will often be given a promising antibiotic during the waiting period of the culture results.

Good Luck to You!!

2007-02-14 15:51:12 · answer #4 · answered by Daiquiri Dream 6 · 0 0

1. Yes, I had an upper respiratory infection. It was uknown whether the infection was viral, bacterial, or both.

2. Yes, i take medications as prescribed in order to prevent relapse.

3. It is important to finish an antibiotic in order to prevent a relapse of the infection. Even if the symptoms are gone, there still may be traces of bacteria that could re-infect the system, hence all antibiotics need to be finished.

4. I think they are. I once had an antibiotic prescribed for an infection and it turned out that I had no infection and the signs that were seen were the result of a lab error. There was no thorough exam or anything, just one simple urine test that turned out to be an error.

2007-02-17 11:33:10 · answer #5 · answered by Paul 6 · 0 0

1. Yes. I had an accidental needle stick from a dog that had Ehrlichia equi (anaplasma). Neither or us knew if I was infected; it was a safeguard.

2. Yes.

3. Even if your symptoms clear up, your body may still be actively fighting an infection, so it is important to finish the course of the antibiotics to ensure that the infection is truly gone.

4. Not so much anymore by medical doctors, but they are definitely overprescribed in veterinary medicine.

2007-02-14 16:25:34 · answer #6 · answered by ucd_grad_2005 4 · 0 0

1. Yes. Sinus infection. Bacteria assumed.
2. Yes.
3. Yes -- to avoid adding to the antibiotic resistance problem. I'm a bio teacher.
4. Yes. Some doctors prescribe antibiotics to keep their clientele happy, even when the cause of the illness is not identified. People just run to the doctor for every little sniffle.

2007-02-14 15:40:13 · answer #7 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0 0

Answering from my son's latest bout with pneumonia

1 Yes, Yes, No
2 Yes, N/A
3 Yes, body may show signs of improvement within 24 hours of the initial antibiotic dose, but WBC's are still fighting the homeostatic imbalance. Count will still be too high.
4 In some cases yes, when they are prescribed for a viral infection, they are worthless. Your body will build up an immunity to these antibiotics over time.

Hope this helps you.

2007-02-14 15:46:41 · answer #8 · answered by kam 5 · 0 0

1 - yes; infection; yes
2 - not always - allergic reactions occurred to several
3 - yes - the symptoms may have cleared up but the cause is still present and failure to complete the course of medicine will cause the little buggers to flare up even meaner than before
4 - no - if anything they are underprescribed; I went to the doctor 3 times before finally getting a prescription for an ear infection because "it will clear up"

2007-02-14 17:20:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

1. yes and yes
2. yes
3. yes
4. yes. Since antibiotics have been over prescribed, many bacteria have become resistant. Therefore stronger and stronger antibiotics must be developed to meet the resistant strains. Recently the AMA has suggested that physicians not prescribe antibiotics as freely as they have in the past.

2007-02-14 15:43:38 · answer #10 · answered by SolMan 5 · 0 0

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