Get Smart About Antibiotics Week is an annual observance to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescription and use. The principle of antibiotic resistance is that over time bacteria evolve to resist the drugs we take to fight them. This means an antibiotic that works against a certain bacteria today might not work in the future, so we need to be careful about antibiotic prescribing.
Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs used in human medicine, and up to 50% of all the antibiotics prescribed for people are not needed or are not optimally effective as prescribed. Because of this, the use of antibiotics is the single most important factor in driving adverse antibiotic resistance rates around the world. Unfortunately, each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result of these infections. Of particular concern here in Nevada is the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which has symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. Recent trends over the years have shown an increase in the rate of hospitalizations, and are expected to continue to rise. To address this issue, on Sept. 18, 2014, the White House announced an Executive Order stating that the federal government will work domestically and internationally to detect, prevent, and control illness and death related to antibiotic-resistant infections by implementing measures that reduce the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and help ensure the continued availability of effective therapeutics for the treatment of bacterial infections. In light of this nationally recognized observance week, the Nevada Antimicrobial Stewardship Program has partnered with physician organizations, consumer groups, health plans, state and local public health organizations and pharmaceutical companies to educate health professionals and consumers about the appropriate use of antibiotics. Through these collaborative efforts, the goal is to increase awareness about the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, and prevent the increase and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among all Nevada residents. To learn more, please visit our Antibiotic Resistance Page here.
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AuthorOPHIE records and analyzes data from disease investigations, identifies risk factors, and provides education on disease prevention in Nevada. Archives
November 2018
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