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Publication date: Last review date: Next review date: Leaflet code: Re-order code: November 2008 April 2016 April 2018 UCLH/MB/INF/IC/ANTIBIOTICS/2 UCLH0291 © University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Unique Code: 28958 Resistance to antibiotics Bacteria evolve rapidly—they adapt and find ways to survive the effect of antibiotics. They become “antibiotic resistant” so that the antibiotic no longer works. Antibiotic resistance is growing. If you take antibiotics when you do not need them, they may lose their ability to kill bacteria. If the bacteria keep “overpowering” the medicines we have, we may run out of ways to kill these bacteria. This is a health hazard not just for the person having taken the antibiotics inappropriately, but also for anyone else who might catch the resistant bacteria afterwards. Why can’t other antibiotics be used to treat resistant bacteria? They can, but they may not be as effective, they may have more side-effects and eventually the bacteria will become resistant to them too. We cannot be sure we will always be able to find new antibiotics to replace the old ones. In recent years fewer new antibiotics have been discovered, so we must look after the antibiotics we have by using them carefully. We cannot stop resistance occuring, but we can do a lot to slow it down and stop it spreading. ﻃﺒﺎﻋﺔ ﺁﺒﻴﺮﺓ ﺃﻭ ﺗﺴﺠﻴﻞ، ﻋﻠﻰ ﺳﺒﻴﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﺜﺎﻝ،ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﺤﺼﻮﻝ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻩﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺻﻴﻐﺔ ﺃﺧﺮﻯ ﺇﺫﺍ ﺁﻨﺖ ﺑﺤﺎﺟﺔ . ﺃﻭ ﺁﻨﺖ ﺑﺤﺎﺟﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺧﺪﻣﺎﺕ ﻣﺘﺮﺟﻢ ﺗﻔﻀﻞ ﺑﺎﻻﺗﺼﺎﻝ ﺑﻨﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺮﻗﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺿﺢ ﺃﻋﻼﻩ،ﺻﻮﺗﻲ Bengali Cantonese 倘若您需要本資訊以另一種格式提供,如大字體或音訊格式,或需要翻譯服務, 請按照上述號碼聯絡我們。 Farsi Mandarin 如果您需要本资料以另一种格式提供,如大字体或音频格式,或需要翻译服务,请 按照上述号码联系我们。 Polish For further information Ask your doctor, practice nurse or pharmacist Taking antibiotics when they are not needed and not taking them correctly, for example, just when you remember or in a low dose, will lead to more bacteria becoming resistant to them. This is why it is important to finish the course of antibiotics even if you feel better. UCLH Medicines Information Helpline Telephone: 020 3447 3025 Some infections are resistant to certain antibiotics. MRSA is an example of an infection that cannot be treated with standard antibiotics. If you would like this information in another format, for example, large print, or audio, or the services of a translator please contact the Infection Control Team on: 0845 155 5000 extension 79716. Remember: Always complete your course of antibiotics even if you feel better! Arabic Public Health England Website: www.gov.uk/government/ organisations/public-health-england Prosimy się z nami skontaktować pod podanym powyżej numerem telefonu, jeśli chcieliby Państwo otrzymać niniejszą informację w innym formacie, np. w formacie dużym drukiem, w postaci nagrania dźwiękowego lub skorzystać z usług tłumacza. Portuguese Caso pretenda esta informação noutro formato, por exemplo num formato ampliado ou em áudio, ou caso precise dos serviços de um tradutor, deverá contactar-nos pelo número acima. Somali Haddii aad macluumaadkan ku rabto hab kale; tusaale ahaan, far waawayn ama hab maqal ah, ama aad rabto adeeg tarjumaad leh fadlan nagala soo xidhiidh telefoonka kor ku xusan. Spanish Si necesita esta información en otro formato, como por ejemplo, en formato de imprenta grande o audio, o los servicios de un traductor, por favor póngase en contacto con nosotros en el número que aparece arriba. Turkish Bu bilgileri başka bir formatta, örneğin iri harflerle veya sesli olarak, ya da tercüman yardımıyla almak isters Antibiotics What are antibiotics? How to take antibiotics Special care Allergies Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections caused by bacteria. They work by either killing bacteria or preventing their growth. Different types of antibiotics are used to treat different kinds of infection. In the UK, most antibiotics are only available on prescription from a doctor or a dentist. Antibiotics are usually taken by mouth, but can sometimes be given into a vein (intravenous), into a muscle (intramuscular) or applied to the affected part of the body such as skin, eyes or ears as drops, lotion or ointment (also known as topical). You should speak to your doctor before taking an antibiotic if you know you have any liver or kidney problems. Some people can be allergic to antibiotics, particularly penicillin and cephalosporins, and may experience side-effects such as a rash, swelling of the face and tongue and difficulty in breathing when they take antibiotics. This is called an anaphylactic reaction and it can be serious or even fatal. Always tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you have had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and remind them of your allergy before you receive any antibiotics. When should antibiotics be used? Antibiotics do not work against infections caused by viruses such as common colds, flu, most coughs or sore throats. Antibiotics are effective only against bacterial infections— they cannot help you recover from infections caused by viruses. Your doctor will only prescribe antibiotics when you need them, for example for a kidney infection or pneumonia. Antibiotics may be lifesaving for infections such as meningitis. If you are having an operation, you may be given antibiotics to prevent an infection. This is known as prophylaxis and is especially common before surgery to repair broken bones and joints and before bowel surgery. Misuse of antibiotics causes bacteria to become resistant to antibiotic treatments. So when you need antibiotics in the future they may no longer work. Remember: Antibiotics won’t work in the case of a cold or flu! Some antibiotics should not be taken with certain foods, whilst others are best taken when there is no food in your stomach, usually an hour before meals or two hours after. Alcohol should be avoided with certain antibiotics (such as metronidazole). Always follow the instructions on the label or patient information leaflet. When the doctor has confirmed that antibiotics are necessary, it is very important to take the antibiotics in a responsible manner. If antibiotics are not taken as prescribed, this can cause bacteria to become resistant. It is therefore important to finish the full course and take the correct dose at the right time to kill all the bacteria that are causing infection. Do not give your antibiotics to friends, family or pets and do not keep left-over antibiotics. If you have received more doses than you were prescribed ask your pharmacist about how to dispose of the remaining medicines. Remember: Take antibiotics responsibly! Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before taking any antibiotics. Side-effects of antibiotics The most common side-effects with antibiotics are diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. Often you may get no obvious side-effects from antibiotics, however if your symptoms persist then contact your doctor. After treatment with certain antibiotics, you may get a fungal infection such as thrush. This is because antibiotics may destroy your body’s “good” bacteria that help to control overgrowth of microbes like fungi, as well as the “bad” bacteria responsible for the infection being treated. Remember: Remind your doctor, nurse or pharmacist of any allergies before you receive antibiotics! Interactions with other medicines Certain antibiotics can stop the contraceptive pill working properly. If you have diarrhoea or vomiting while taking an antibiotic, your pill might not be properly absorbed. In either case, you should use additional contraception while you are taking the antibiotic and for a further seven days after finishing the course. There are a number of important interactions between antibiotics and other medicines so it’s important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before you take any other medicines or herbal remedies at the same time as your antibiotics.