AntibioticsAuthor:Everett Stephens, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Louisville.
Antibiotics
are among the most frequently prescribed
medications inmodern medicine.
Antibiotics cure disease by killing or injuring bacteria. Thefirst antibiotic was penicillin, discovered accidentally from a mold culture. Today,over 100 different antibiotics are available to doctors to cure minordiscomforts as well as life-threatening infections. Although antibiotics are useful in a wide variety of infections, it isimportant to realize that antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. Antibioticsare useless against viral infections and fungal infections . Your doctor canbest determine if an antibiotic is right for your conditionTypes of AntibioticsThereare well over 100 antibiotics, but the majority come from only a few types ofdrugs. Such as : penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides; fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides,tetracyclines and aminoglycosides.Mostantibiotics have two names, the trade or brand name, created by the drugcompany, and a generic name, based on the antibiotic's chemical class or structure.Each antibiotic is effective only for certain types of infections byconsidering. that some persons may have allergies for this class or this other.Taking Your Medicine correctelyIt is important to learn how to take antibiotics correctly: * Read the label to see how many pills to takeand how often to take your medicine. * Take your antibiotics correctly:.Some medications need to be taken with something in your stomach such as aglass of milk or a few crackers, and others only with water. * Store your medicationcorrectly. Many children's antibiotics need to be refrigerated (amoxicillin),while others are best left at room temperature (Biaxin). * Dont stop treatement in midcoursebecause the bacteria may be partially treated and not completely killed,causing the bacteria to be resistant to the antibiotic. * Antibiotics may haveinteractions with other prescription and nonprescription medications. Be sureyour doctor and pharmacist know about all the other medications you'll betaking while on your antibiotics. The existence of antibiotic-resistantbacteria creates the danger of life-threatening infections that don't respondto antibiotics. Partcullely in case of overuse or by using them even thoughantibiotics do not affect viruses