Used and abused Doctors in the UK told to stop overprescribing antibiotics We're not the only country that has a problem with overuse of antibiotics. But the only "good" part about that fact may be that the increase in antibiotic-resistant infections can't be blamed ENTIRELY on us. Of course, that may soon change if doctors in Great Britain start following the advice of the British Department of Health. The advice is part of the Department's new plan for curtailing the rise in deadly superbugs, particularly one known as methycillin resistant staphylococcus aureus or MSRA. MSRA is a type of staph infection that starts in the skin but can travel quickly throughout the body causing pneumonia or infections in the blood or bone. And without effective antibiotic treatment, MSRA can also quickly become fatal. But effective antibiotic treatment is becoming harder and harder to find -- and not because there aren't enough good ones out there. The problem is that the antibiotics we do have -- the ones that should be able to make short work of bacterial infections like MSRA -- are being used too often and for problems that they can't even cure. Because as great of a weapon as they are against bacteria, antibiotics are absolutely useless against viruses. And, unfortunately, a big chunk of the prescriptions written for them are handed to people battling viruses. Many times, doctors think they're erring on the side of caution when they prescribe antibiotics to a patient who comes in with a bad cold: For years, they've been conditioned to think that while antibiotics may not help every case, they certainly can't hurt. But, as we're discovering with conditions like MSRA, that's simply not the case. The good news is, this is one aspect of health care that's easy to take control of yourself - - with or without any government "campaign." The next time you visit your doctor for cold or flu symptoms -- or any other illness -- ask your doctor whether your infection is viral or bacterial. He'll likely need to run a test or two to determine which type it is. If he writes you a prescription for an antibiotic in the meantime, don't get it filled until you've received the results and know for sure that you're battling something bacterial. And if that is the case, make sure to complete the full cycle of antibiotics -- even if you feel better before you're finished with the pills: Stopping antibiotic treatment prematurely is another major contributor to antibiotic-resistance. : "Stop giving antibiotics for colds, doctors told," BBC News, 1/11/08 | 
