Although there is a greater awareness of the control in the consumption of antibiotics in Spain, it is still necessary to insist on the risks of their abuse: the loss of effectiveness and the greater resistance of bacteria.
EFE/PHOTOILLUSTRATION/Carlos Ortega
On the occasion of the celebration of European Day for the Prudent Use of Antibioticsthe responsible use of antibiotics, a pending subject at collective level, is once again in the spotlight.
To the task of sensitization regarding this problem the pharmaceutical company joins CINFAthat through the doctor Julio Masetawareness among the population about the dangers of misuse of this type of drug.
Ten guidelines for responsible use of antibiotics
Thus, Dr. Maset provides these ten tips on the use of antibiotics:
- Do not self-medicate. You may be making the mistake of consuming completely ineffective medications to fight your infection, as well as inadvertently creating greater resistance to pathogenic bacteria. As if that wasn’t enough, you also expose your body to possible allergic reactions or secondary effects.
- Remember that they are not effective against colds and flu. Colds and flu are usually viral and antibiotics work exclusively against bacteria.
- Do not order antibiotics from the pharmacist without a medical recommendation. Do not pressure healthcare professionals to dispense or prescribe something that may be counterproductive.
- Not for your children either. If the child shows symptoms associated with any infection, you must go to the pediatrician. The professional will assess whether or not the antibiotic is needed. Administering antibiotics without a doctor’s recommendation can be harmful to your health and will make your recovery more difficult when you actually get an infection that requires antibiotics.
- Follow the doctor’s instructions. You must respect and comply with the guidelines, both regarding the dose and the hours and duration of the treatment. If not, it will create, once again, a greater resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.
- Organize yourself to meet the schedule to the letter. Before you start, think about which schedule is easier for you to respect the frequency indicated by the healthcare professional. If only one dose is needed a day, take it at the same time. Also respect the indications of whether they should be taken with food or not.
- Complete the treatment in the stipulated time. Do not stop it, even if the symptoms of the disease disappear, as its effectiveness may vary.
- Do not save or take any antibiotics that are left over. If you have taken more than you were told to take, do not save the antibiotics in case they come back or present similar symptoms. Instead, deposit them in a SAFE point.
- Whenever possible, follow the vaccination schedule. Many of the vaccines you receive are for bacterial diseases, so following the recommended vaccination schedule will give you an advantage against possible infections of this nature and at the same time avoid bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
- For your pet, with prescription too. The vet decides on your treatment and prescribes antibiotics if necessary. It is not wise to give your pet medicines left over from other treatments, because if you do not use antibiotics responsibly we would be committing the same mistake mentioned above.
When to take antibiotics?
In this way, we must distinguish the cases in which we must consume antibiotics from those in which we do not:
- When should we take antibiotics?… we suffer bacterial infections and as long as it is prescribed by a doctor.
- Do not consume antibiotics for… treat respiratory infections viral such as colds, colds or flu, or even pharyngitis, which are often viral.
“In the face of these diseases, consuming this type of drug makes no sense and can be counterproductive because it neither kills the virus nor lowers the fever nor reduces other symptoms such as coughing, mucus or sneezing,” says Maset.
“Superbugs” resistant to antibiotics
CINFA insists on the importance of strictly following these guidelines because, if we don’t, we would be contributing to the creation of the perfect breeding ground for calls super bacteria.
Julio Maset explains that the main and most worrying consequence of the widespread misuse of antibiotics is the resistance of bacteria in front of them But it is not something that affects only and exclusively the individual.
“It must be clear that it is the bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics, not the people: if I take them incorrectly, this behavior represents a risk not only to my health, but also to the entire population”, says the expert.
Because the bacteria that is transmitted is a resistant variant. This is why there is so much emphasis on the responsible use of antibiotics.
Reduce the consumption of antibiotics
Although the National Antibiotic Resistance Plan 2022-2024 it already reflects that the awareness-raising tasks are beginning to bear fruit, there is still a long way to go.
“This is excellent news, but there is still a long way to go in raising social awareness of the risks involved in the inappropriate use of these drugs,” determines Dr. Maset.
And despite the fact that the figures of the report presented by the aforementioned initiative place the reduction of the global consumption of antibiotics in one 32.4% in our countrythe task of raising awareness must run its course.