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Tyler Rogers

Mrs. Workman

Honors English

May 25, 2015

Antibiotics are Harmless, Right?

One of the first steps taken in order to become a healthcare professional is the

Hippocratic Oath. This oath serves as a promise to treat patients to the best of ones ability. A

part of this oath states that the doctor will do no harm. There are millions of antibiotics

prescribed each year. Often, they are prescribed even when they arent necessary. Doctors tend

to turn to antibiotics as a quick fix. They believe that even if the drug isnt truly needed, it wont

harm the patient. However, what doctors frequently dont consider when scribbling their name

onto prescriptions is that incorrect and excessive usage of antibiotics is turning into a problem.

By prescribing antibiotics that arent needed, doctors are violating the oath they once took, while

oblivious to the potential harm being done. There has been an alarming increase in the number of

antibiotic resistant patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in

Atlanta, About 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses each year nationwide are tied to antibiotic-

resistant infections. Antibiotic resistance is a commonly overlooked problem in the medical

field. Doctors should be more careful and thoughtful when prescribing antibiotics; patients

should be more responsible when consuming antibiotics and when confronting doctors

concerning illnesses.

Antibiotic resistance takes place when bacteria adapt to the drug, resulting in complete

resistance or limited effectiveness. As the bacteria adjust, they are able to survive and reproduce.
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The surviving microbes can cause the disease to come back, and be even more harmful.

Microorganisms are able to develop resistance via several methods. One method involves

bacteria neutralizing the antibiotic before any damage is done. Some bacteria can rapidly pump

the antibiotic out (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), while other bacteria can alter

the location site of the antibiotic so that the bacteria is not impaired (Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention). Each time a bacteria outsmarts an antibiotic, treatment options become more

limited and the infection presents a greater risk to human health.

Antibiotic resistance has evolved over time. Neisseria gonorrhoea are the bacteria that

cause gonorrhea. During the 1960s, gonorrhea was easily controlled because of the antibiotics

penicillin and ampicillin. Now, over 24 percent of gonorrheal bacteria have become

unresponsive to one of the two antibiotics. A surprising 98 percent of gonorrheal bacteria in

Southeast Asia are completely resistant to penicillin (Antibiotic Resistance: Delaying the

Inevitable). Doctors can no longer rely upon antibiotics to flawlessly cure patients.

Microorganisms have decided to fight back.

A book compiled by the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Womens

Health states, The more often a person uses an antibiotic, the more likely it is that the germs

will resist it. This can make some diseases very hard to control. It can make you sick longer and

require more doctor visits. You may need to take drugs that are even stronger (Antibiotic

Resistance 1). Many times, doctors make the mistake of prescribing antibiotics when the patient

could do without. Jessica Sorrell, a nurse at the Kosair Childrens Hospital in Louisville,

Kentucky shares, The doctors feel the safe course is to prescribe antibiotics. When the

patients receive antibiotics, they are satisfied because they feel they received treatment. The

doctors prescribe the antibiotic because even if they are unsure it will help, there is still a chance
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it could. But more importantly, doctors believe the antibiotic will not be harmful. There is

overwhelming evidence that over usage of antibiotics is tied to the increasing number of

antibiotic resistant patients (Galley). The University of Pittsburgh researchers claim that doctors

prescribe antibiotics because they just cant tell whether a bacterial infection or a virus is the

underlying cause (Smeltz). When physicians turn to antibiotics, they are failing to acknowledge

the long-term effects of their decision. Clearly, a rational approach to improving antibiotic

resistance is limiting antibiotic use.

Not only are unneeded antibiotic prescriptions a problem, but prolonged prescriptions are

as well. There is a large amount of people that visit a dermatologist in order to treat acne.

About 5 million prescriptions for oral antibiotics are written each year for acne

(Humphrey 2). Typically, a patient consuming an antibiotic to treat acne will take the

medication for an extended period of time. In some cases, the antibiotic will be effective

for awhile, but after taking the medication for a long period of time, symptoms will

reappear. When this occurs, he or she will be switched to an alternative antibiotic in order

to lessen acne symptoms once again. This process can take place multiple times, and

antibiotics will continue to be rotated. Antibiotic rotation is a practice regularly used in

the healthcare field. Once an antibiotic starts to lose effectiveness, the patient is then

switched to a similar antibiotic. Once the patient develops immunity to the new

antibiotic, another is prescribed. The cycling of antibiotics is a minor example of

antibiotic resistance. Erythromycin and clindamycin are two of the most commonly used

topical antibiotics to treat acne. There is strong evidence that the use of these antibiotics

has triggered a gradual increase in resistance over the last 20 years (Humphrey 2).
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While doctors can be partially to blame for the increase in antibiotic resistance, patients

can be accountable as well. Patients have a tendency of stopping and starting antibiotics as they

choose. Once symptoms lessen and the patient begins feeling better, he or she may quit taking

the antibiotic, assuming the sickness is gone. However, the patient is not entirely cured yet, even

if he or she seems to be. By ending the medication earlier than instructed, the bacteria are not

completely wiped out. This can cause the disease to come back even more aggressively. The

microorganisms that were not killed while taking the antibiotic can become resistant. If the

disease reoccurs, the antibiotic could potentially not work because of the resistant microbes that

emerged during the first dosage (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). This proves that bacteria

are capable of developing defense mechanisms quickly, so it is crucial that patients use

antibiotics properly (Knapton). Another common mistake made by patients is saving antibiotics

to use later. Antibiotics are intended for patients at that particular time. It is also important that

patients only take antibiotics prescribed to them. Antibiotics are not meant to be shared. If the

wrong medication is taken, the healing process could be delayed or the illness could even

worsen.

Another contributor to the growing number of antibiotic resistance is the genetic transfer

of immunity. Antibiotic resistance can spread genetically either vertically or horizontally.

The vertical spread is when new generations inherit the resistant genes (Kramer). The

horizontal spread occurs when bacteria exchange parts of genetic material with other bacteria.

Antibiotic resistance spreads as the resistant bacteria travel. People can even diffuse the resistant

bacteria to others via coughing, or even contact with unwashed hands (Kramer).

Although it is possible for antibiotic resistant traits to fade away, it is a much slower

process. If the applied selective pressure caused by an antibiotic is removed, it becomes a

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possibility that the bacteria population could revert the portion of the population that responded

to antibiotics (Kramer).

Antibiotic resistance is inevitable; however, the abuse of antibiotics has made the process

much quicker. The solution to this rapidly growing dilemma is to first, reduce the number of

antibiotic prescriptions given. It is almost certain that there is a causative association between

antibiotic use and the development of resistance. Given the recent world-wide escalation in

resistance and the overwhelming evidence of unnecessary antibiotic use, the sensible approach to

the control of antibiotic resistance is to control antibiotic use (Galley, ix). Secondly, new

antibiotics must be developed. The number of new antibiotics in the making is shockingly low.

Sixteen new antibiotics were released between 1983 and 1987, as opposed to the two created

from 2003 to 2007. Companies and researchers tend to focus less on creating new antibiotics

because there isnt a great monetary benefit (Antibiotic Resistance: Expert Q&A with the

CDC). An intense focus on microbiology will open doors to new and more current knowledge.

This can help doctors to better manage the distribution of antibiotics, and also give researchers

up-to-date data that will speed up the process of generating new antibiotics (Galley).

As patients, there are steps that can be taken to improve antibiotic resistance. It is crucial

that patients follow the consumption instructions for antibiotics precisely. Patients should not

push doctors to prescribe antibiotics. Healthcare providers and patients should work together and

talk about alternative methods of care when antibiotics arent necessary, such as getting rest,

drinking fluids, and using over-the-counter medications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims, Antibiotic resistance has been

called one of the worlds most pressing public health problems. Nearly every strain of bacteria

is becoming stronger and responding less to antibiotics. The resistant bacteria are able to quickly
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spread, prospectively impacting entire communities. These new infectious diseases are more

difficult and more expensive to treat. Antibiotic resistance is causing danger to those who have

common infections that were once easily treatable (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

In conclusion, antibiotic resistance is a major challenge being faced in the medical field

today. There needs to be an increased awareness concerning the eventual impact of antibiotic

resistance. Although antibiotic resistance is unavoidable, there are ways to improve the

circumstance. The keys to mending antibiotic resistance are reducing the amount of antibiotics

that are prescribed, developing new antibiotics, conducting research focused on microbiology,

and informing patients about the correct way to take antibiotics. Antibiotics are a valuable

weapon when fighting bacterial infections. Therefore, it is imperative that antibiotics are

administered responsibly so that they continue to effectively heal patients.

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Works Cited

Antibiotic Resistance: Delaying the Inevitable. Understanding Evolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 23

Nov. 2014.

Antibiotic Resistance: Expert Q&A with the CDC. WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 21 Nov.

2014.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

Galley, Helen F. Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control. London: 2001. EBook. 9 Nov.

2014.

Humphrey, Shannon. Antibiotic Resistance in Acne Treatment. Medscape. Skin Care Guide.

2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Impacts of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: Thanks to Penicillin He Will Come Home!

Washington, DC: Office of Technology Assessment. Congress of the US, 1995. Print.

Knapton, Sarah. Antibiotic Resistance Began Before Discovery of Penicillin, DNA from First

World War Soldier Shows. The Telegraph. The Telegraph, Inc., 7 Nov. 2014. Web. 9

Nov. 2014.

Kramer, Jane A. General Background: About Antibiotic Resistance. Alliance for the Prudent

Use of Antibiotics. Preserving the Power of Antibiotics., 2002. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Smeltz, Adam. Pitt Team Wages War on Antibiotic Resistance. TRIB Live News. TRIB Total

Media Inc., 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

Sorrell, Jessica. Personal Interview. 8 Nov. 2014.

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Combating Antibiotic Resistance. N.p., 14 Oct. 2014.

Web. 22 Nov. 2014.

United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Womens Health. Antibiotic Resistance:

Rockville, MD. 2007. Print.