Misuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance and infections that cause illness or death.

As U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week was observed on November 18-24, Guthrie County Hospital and Clinics urges the importance of antibiotic prescribing and use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that at least 28% of antibiotics prescribed in U.S. outpatient settings are unnecessary. Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Beth Woods says the resistance that germs build up due to misuse of antibiotics result in 35,000 deaths in the U.S. among the more than 2.8 million infections from resistant bacteria that occur, “We’ve actually known for quite some time that antibiotic resistance is a public health threat. We also know that antibiotics have a lot of unwanted side effects, so as healthcare providers we have a responsibility to be prudent in our prescribing of antibiotics and to reduce the antibiotic resistance. This means prescribing antibiotics only when indicated and also making sure that you have the right antibiotics for the infection that you’re treating and that it’s the right dose, the right time, and the right length.”

Woods says that antibiotics are critical tools for treating life-threatening conditions like pneumonia and sepsis. They do not work on viruses that cause colds, influenza, bronchitis, or runny noses, even when the mucus is thick, yellow, or green. You can hear more from Woods in today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County program on air and at raccoonvallyradio.com.