WRNMMC, Bethesda, MD  –   November 18 begins this year’s U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week, an annual observance that raises awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance, and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Antibiotics are an important and valuable tool for fighting some infections,” shared LCDR Sara Robinson, Chair of Infection Prevention and Control at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). “Antibiotics are drugs that are specifically used to fight bacterial infections and do not work on viruses such as colds and flu.”

If patients feel ill, they should ask their health care provider about the most appropriate treatment. If a provider prescribes antibiotics, it’s important that patients follow the directions provided to them and only take antibiotics exactly as prescribed.

When patients have a bacterial infection, antibiotics are the prescribed treatment. Even though antibiotics can assist in fighting bacterial infections, taking antibiotics can have risks such as killing good bacteria within your body which could lead to diarrhea or a yeast infection, cause a serious allergic reaction that may require hospitalization, and even result in the bacteria developing a resistance to the prescribed antibiotic.

Antibiotics can save lives, but any time antibiotics are prescribed they can contribute to the development of an antimicrobial resistance. Robinson stated that an “excessive use of antibiotics can lead to resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, so it is important for health care providers and patients to be aware of the appropriate uses and limitations of antibiotics.”

Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs, like bacteria or fungi, develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them, meaning that the germs or bacteria are not killed and continue to grow. The CDC reports that “2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year in the United States, and more than 35,000 people die because of microbial resistance.”

It is important for patients to speak with their providers about any side effects they may experience while taking antibiotics. Health care providers will prescribe the correct antibiotic, at the right dose, for the specified duration for the specific bacterial infection.

Providers and pharmacists can talk to patients about possible side effects from prescribed antibiotics, such as allergic reactions and antimicrobial-resistant infections. “The increasing frequency in which we encounter difficult to treat infections serve as reminders that we should diligently practice diagnostic stewardship, antibiotic stewardship and implement effective infection prevention strategies every single time,” said Robinson. “It is our mission at WRNMMC to educate our patients and families to recognize the signs and symptoms of any worsening infections that could lead to prolonged illness or need to seek additional medical care.”

The annual observance of U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week gives health care organizations, like WRNMMC, an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic use to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Resources concerning the use and misuse of antibiotics are available on the CDC website at: cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/week