Antibiotic Resistance Essay, Research Paper

Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria that cause infection are not killed by the antibiotics taken to stop the infection. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply causing more harm. Widespread use of antibiotics promotes the spread of antibiotic resistance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 100 million courses of antibiotics are provided by office-based doctors each year. Approximately half of those are unnecessary; being prescribed for colds, coughs, and other viral infection.

Smart use of antibiotics is the key to decreasing, or even reversing, the spread of resistance. Although the solution to the problem of antibiotic resistance is complex, we do know that when communities have decreased antibiotic use, they also have decreased resistance. CDC recommends that everyone only use antibiotics whey they are necessary.

Facts about Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance

In 1928, Alexander Fleming, a Scottish scientist discovered the first antibiotic.

Antibiotics became widely available in the 1940?s.

In 1954, two million pounds of antibiotics were produced in the United States. Today the figure exceeds 50 million pounds.

Antibiotics work by either killing bacteria or by inhibiting growth.

Humans consume 235 million doses of antibiotics annually. It is estimated that 20%-50% of that use is unnecessary.