Tuesday, November 24, 2015

It’s time to get smart about antibiotics

Did you know that every year, at least 2 million people in the United States are infected with bacteria that can’t be cured by antibiotics — and at least 23,000 die because of it?

Antibiotic resistance makes some medicines unable to stop or heal sickness. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist Arjun Srinivasan, MD, told us that we all have a role to play in keeping antibiotics effective. During Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, he told Get Ready several “simple things like cleaning your hands properly using soap and water” and getting flu shots can help.

“What these things do is they reduce your chance of getting ill,” he said. “And we know if you don’t get ill, you’re less likely to wind up in a doctor’s office or an emergency department where you might get an antibiotic prescription that you may not need.”

Listen to our podcast with Srinivasan, and learn how you can get smart about antibiotics.

No comments: