antibiotic awareness week

On Tuesday of this week, the Center for Disease Control (see above ad) along with 25 other organizations issued a joint statement concerning ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE, ANTIBIOTIC OVERUSE, and improper usage of antibiotics.  They said that this was a growing problem that needed to be addressed by healthcare personnel, hospital administrators, policymakers, patients, and those working in medical centers, universities, and pharmaceutical companies.  And although they claimed that antibiotic use in the US has declined by just over 15% since 1999, some parts of the nation have actually seen an increase. 

Not surprisingly, the South (Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana) had the highest rates of antibiotic use, while the lowest were seen in states that we often associate with health-conscious people (Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington).  They stated that in America, there are just over 800 out-patient prescriptions for antibiotics written per 1,000 people (children and the elderly have a rate that is essentially 1,000 for 1,000).  The gist of the statement was to warn the population that antibiotic resistance is growing at a faster rate than new antibiotics are being developed.

I think that everyone would have to admit that Antibiotics were one of the true “miracle” breakthroughs of 20th century medicine.  However, their overuse and abuse has led to untold health problems here in America.  I would guess that the bigger portion of that is due to the fact that although far too many doctors write prescriptions for antibiotics like there is no tomorrow, few are doing anything substantial to educate themselves or their patients about the risks and long-term problems associated with antibiotic use.  I would go out on a limb (a place I seem to spend a great deal of time) and say that antibiotics are not only one of our greatest miracles, they are also one of the greatest destroyers of health and greatest causes of chronic health conditions.  This is because, among other things, antibiotics kill the good bacteria that make up 80% of your Immune System (HERE).

To read Part II of this post, which goes into much more detail concerning the problems associated with antibiotic usage, go HERE.