Breaking the Antibiotic Habit , livre ebook

Turner Publishing Company - Louis M. Bell , Bonnie Fass-Offit , Paul A. Offit

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117 pages

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Protect your child. Leading pediatric experts answer all your questions about reducing the risks of antibiotic overuse. "An important book for parents.the best source I have seen about the dangers of antibiotic resistance and the risks of antibiotic overuse." --Scott Dowell, M.D., M.P.H. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Finally, a book that discusses the problem of antibiotic overuse in a readable way, combining daily experiences in pediatric practice with scientific explanations." --S. Michael Marcy, M.D., American Academy of Pediatrics If your child has a cough, cold, ear infection, or sore throat, will antibiotics help? The answer may surprise you. Overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, or "superbugs." Antibiotics are increasingly ineffective because they are often prescribed inappropriately to treat viral infections, such as colds, bronchitis, and sore throats. Natural supplements may offer more relief. Clearly organized and packed with vital information, Breaking the Antibiotic Habit covers all the key issues, including:
* Distinguishing between strep throat and sore throat, sinus infection and the common cold, pneumonia and bronchitis, and ear infections and ear fluids
* Helping children with viral infections feel better--without antibiotics
* Getting the most from over-the-counter remedies and natural supplements--which are best for specific symptoms, and which to avoid altogether
THE PROMISE AND PROBLEMS OF ANTIBIOTICS.

Deadly Diseases Caused by Bacteria That Resist Antibiotics.

The Miracle of Antibiotics.

Bacteria Fight Back.

How Antibiotic Overuse Is Destroying the Miracle.

HOW TO USE ANTIBIOTICS LESS.

Distinguishing Bacterial from Viral Infections.

Ear Infection or Ear Fluid?

Strep Throat or Sore Throat?

Sinus Infection or the Common Cold?

Pneumonia or Bronchitis?

How to Help Children with Viral Infections Feel Better.

What Antibiotics Can and Can't Do.

A Word to Doctors.

Summing Up.

Bibliography.

Index.

Sujets

Healing

Health

Fitness

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	02 mai 2008
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780470352175
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0948€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Breaking the Antibiotic Habit
A Parent s Guide to Coughs, Colds, Ear Infections, and Sore Throats
Paul A. Offit, M.D., Bonnie Fass-Offit, M.D., and Louis M. Bell, M.D.

John Wiley Sons, Inc.
New York Chichester Weinheim Brisbane Singapore Toronto
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 1999 by Paul A. Offit, Bonnie Fass-Offit, and Louis M. Bell. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc. Published simultaneously in Canada
Grateful acknowledgment is made to The Johns Hopkins University Press for permission to reprint an excerpt from Social Ramifications of Control of Microbial Disease by Walsh McDermott and David Rogers, published in The Johns Hopkins Medical Journal.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4744. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley Sons, Inc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012, (212) 850-6011, fax (212) 850-6008, E-Mail: PERMREQ @ WILEY.COM.
The information contained in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional medical advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the readers discretion. The author and the publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Offit, Paul A.
Breaking the antibiotic habit: a parent s guide to coughs, colds, ear infections, and sore throats / Paul A. Offit, Bonnie Fass-Offit, Louis M. Bell,
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-471-31982-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Infection in children-Chemotherapy-Side effects-Popular works. 2. Antibiotics-Side effects-Popular works. 3. Microorganisms-Effect of antibiotics on-Popular works. 4. Drug resistance in microorganisms-Popular works. I. Fass-Offit, Bonnie. II. Bell, Louis M. III. Title. RJ53.A5034 1999 615 .329 083-dc21
98-36478
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Theodore Woodward, John Diaconis, Stanley Plotkin, and Ellen Wald-physician s who taught and practiced the principle of first do no harm.
[Microbes] are always with us, in our food and [on] our bodies. They are ready to help us or to destroy us. Only circumstances decide which it shall be.
-Selman Waksman
(1888-1973), from My Life
with the Microbes, Simon and
Schuster, 1954.
My pediatrician is great! Whenever my son has a sore throat, he gives me antibiotics over the phone.
-Overheard at a dinner party,
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania,
1995.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction

I The Promise and Problems of Antibiotics

1 Deadly Diseases Caused by Bacteria That Resist Antibiotics

2 The Miracle of Antibiotics

3 Bacteria Fight Back

4 How Antibiotic Overuse Is Destroying the Miracle

II How to Use Antibiotics Less

5 Distinguishing Bacterial from Viral Infections

6 Ear Infection or Ear Fluid?

7 Strep Throat or Sore Throat?

8 Sinus Infection or the Common Cold?

9 Pneumonia or Bronchitis?

10 How to Help Children with Viral Infections Feel Better

11 What Antibiotics Can and Can t Do

12 A Word to Doctor S

Summing Up
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
The authors deeply appreciate the efforts of S. Michael Marcy M.D., whose suggestions, common sense, humor, and wisdom guided this project to completion.
The authors also wish to acknowledge the physician s, scientists, mothers, fathers, and friends whose commitment to children helped to shape this book: Joel Alpert M.D., H. Fred Clark D.V.M., Ph.D., Susan Coffin M.D., Lisa Considine, Scott Dowell M.D., Ralph Feigin M.D., John Finkelstein M.D., Neil Fishman M.D., Gary Fleisher M.D., Ruth Frey C.R.N.P., Michael Gerber M.D., Trude Haecker M.D., Steve Handler M.D., Dan Hyman M.D., Richard Jacobs M.D., Rita Jew, Pharm.D., Jerome Klein M.D., Edward Ledbetter M.D., Steven Ludwig M.D., Peggy McGratty, Kristine Macartney M.B.B.S., Mark Magnusson M.D., Milton Markowitz M.D., Andrea Mazzenga R.N., Charlotte Moser, Wendy Mosler, Deborah Goodman Naish, James Nataro M.D., Jack Paradise M.D., Georges Peter M.D., Bob Ruffner, Vicki Satinsky, David Sotolongo, Ellen Wald M.D., and Jeffrey Weiser M.D.
In addition, we wish to thank Nancy Love and Judith McCarthy for their encouragement and support of this project.
Introduction
During the first few years of life, almost all children will have at least one infection caused by bacteria. Bacteria usually infect the ears, sinuses, or throat. Sometimes bacteria can cause more serious illnesses by infecting the lungs (pneumonia) or the lining of the brain (meningitis). For over fifty years we have had a group of medicines to treat these infections-antibiotics. But now, by resisting the killing effects of antibiotics, many bacteria are fighting back. Children infected with bacteria that resist antibiotics (sometimes called superbugs ) often need to be treated longer and with more expensive antibiotics-sometimes these children need to be hospitalized to receive antibiotics intravenously. Worse, every year in the United States children die from bacteria that are resistant to all known antibiotics. Although antibiotics were first used only fifty years ago, we have already taken our first steps into an era where antibiotics may be useless.
How could this happen? The reason that some bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics is that antibiotics are overused. Children are the most common victims of this overuse. Of the roughly 145 million antibiotic prescriptions written every year, most are written for young children. The result is that young children are more likely to be infected by highly resistant bacteria than any other group.
Antibiotics are overused because often they are given to children with viral infections (such as colds, bronchitis, and sore throat)-even though they don t help these children get better faster. And children are infected by viruses far more commonly than they are by bacteria. For example, although about ten of 100 children with fever are infected by bacteria, sixty will be given an antibiotic. There are a number of explanations for this. Doctor S may feel that parents are more likely to be satisfied if they are given a prescription for an antibiotic. Or parents may feel more comfortable knowing that their child is getting an antibiotic. Unfortunately, the events of the past decade have made it very clear that we can no longer afford the luxury of inappropriate antibiotic use.
Although some parents know about the problem of resistant bacteria, few understand how it happens or what they can do about it. In this book we will explain what antibiotics can and can t do. We will explain how our dependence on antibiotics has helped resistant bacteria take over, and how these resistant bacteria are causing more and more deadly infections. We will also explain the differences between viral and bacterial infections and offer suggestions on how to avoid the unnecessary use of antibiotics while still helping your child feel better.
We hope that this information will help you understand how to avoid the potentially harmful effects of bacteria that resist antibiotics.
I
The Promise and Problems of Antibiotics
1
Deadly Diseases Caused by Bacteria That Resist Antibiotics
Bacteria are now, more than ever before, resisting the killing effects of antibiotics. Bacteria that resist antibiotics (or superbugs ) are harmful to children for a number of reasons.
When a child is infected with a bacterium that resists some antibiotics, other antibiotics must be used to take their place. These other antibiotics are invariably more expensive and only a limited number are available. Sometimes these other antibiotics must be given intravenously in the hospital.
When a child is infected with a bacterium that resists all antibiotics, it may be impossible to treat the infection successfully.
In this chapter we will talk about the serious and sometimes deadly infections caused by bacteria that resist antibiotics.
The Most Common Bacterial Infection of Children
One bacterium is the most common cause of bacterial infections in children. It is the most common cause of ear infections, the most common cause of sinus infections, the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia, and the most common cause of bacterial meningitis. The name of this bacterium is Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Over the past ten years Streptococcus pneumoniae has become progressively more resistant to antibiotics. Some children have died or been left permanently disabled by infections caused by resistant strains of this bacterium. The crisis of resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae has prompted both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a national campaign to educate parents and doctor s about the problem. Infection caused by resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae is the reason we are writing this book.
Although the number of infections caused by resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae have increased dramatically over the past ten years, their emergence could have been predicted by something that happened about twenty-five years ago.
The Ghost of Bacteria Past
One bacterium used to cause two very severe infections in children-meningitis (an infection of the lining of the brain) and sepsis (an infection of the bloodstream). The name of the bacterium was Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Before 1990,