Vim & Vigor - Spring 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - 39

TRUE OR FALSE:

Antibiotics should always be
used to treat sinus infections.

FALSE. "It totally depends on what
exact infection you have," Glatt says.
Although one sinus infection might
warrant a prescription, the next might
be less severe and clear on its own.

TRUE OR FALSE:

Taking antibiotics can lead to
other health issues.

TRUE. "One of the main problems
of antibiotic use is a serious colon
infection called C. difficile," Glatt
says. "It's the No. 1 hospital-acquired
infection, and it's directly related to
antibiotic usage. That's terrible if it's
inappropriate antibiotic usage." C. diff
is a bacterium that causes inflammation in the colon. When a person takes
antibiotics, good germs that protect
against infection are destroyed and
people can get sick from C. diff picked
up from contaminated surfaces.
Antibiotics also can wipe out normal
protective bacteria in other areas
of the body. Yeast infections are
a common complaint for women
after a course of antibiotics.

TRUE OR FALSE:

Because viral respiratory illnesses that linger sometimes
turn into bacterial infections,
it makes sense to take an
antibiotic if a cough and
congestion last for weeks.

FALSE. "If you don't have a bacterial infection, there's no point in taking
an antibiotic. Most respiratory tract

infections are viral, and they take
two weeks or so to go away," Glatt
says. He says taking antibiotics as
a preventive measure does make
sense in certain circumstances,
such as before surgery, because of
the increased risk of infection.

TRUE OR FALSE:

Superbugs-those that are
resistant to antibiotics-are
worrisome only when you're
in the hospital.

FALSE. "It's more of a concern
for people who are hospitalized, but
it's absolutely an important concern
for everyone," Glatt says, including the
young and healthy. Even a high school
athlete could get a little cut and suffer
a terrible infection.

TRUE OR FALSE:

You should always take your
antibiotics as prescribed, even
if you start to feel better.

TRUE, most of the time. Glatt says
the advice to stick with a prescription
to the end is on the mark. Stopping
before an antibiotic has time to do a
thorough job can, in fact, contribute to
lingering germs mutating and becoming resistant to treatment. But there
are people who start an antibiotic one
day and feel fantastic the next. In those
circumstances, it makes sense to call
the doctor for advice before swallowing pills for a week or two, Glatt says. n

AM I REALLY
ALLERGIC TO
PENICILLIN?
Penicillin allergies aren't nearly
as common as people perceive. As
many as half of those who think
they have an allergy really don't,
according to research by Aaron
Glatt, MD, an infectious disease
expert. Many had some type of bad
reaction after taking penicillin as
an infant or a child, but often that
was stomach upset or diarrhea and
not a true allergy.
True penicillin allergy arises in
1 to 5 cases per 10,000 uses of the
drug, according to a 2010 study.
Avoiding penicillin without good
reason is a problem, because there
are times when it's the optimal
infection fighter at a doctor's disposal. "If you're not taking the best
antibiotic for your infection, you've
essentially hurt yourself," Glatt says.
He recommends gathering as much
information as possible about your
allergy history (and what prompted
the warning against penicillin)
and talking to your doctor about
whether it's a true allergy.

WEBSITE

Before You
Take That ...
Dave Ruta, Parrish Medical
Center's director of pharmacy, recommends visiting
cdc.gov/getsmart for
more information about
antibiotics use.

SP RING 2017

39
http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart
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