@QueenDanceALot wrote:
@JustJazzmom wrote:
@QueenDanceALot wrote:
Why mess around with round after round of a possibly less effective antibiotic when the heavy hitter would do the job more efficiently and much quicker?
We do not know the person's medical history so we do not know the duration of this infection she has had. Certain drugs are used as 'drugs of last resort' and if it was a first time use of this drug for a non recurrent infection, then it was irresponsible on the part of the MD IMHO to have prescribed it. BUT, if the patient has been on several rounds of antibiotics of lower class without knocking it out of her system, then this drug being prescribed is appropriate.
Inappropriate use of antibiotics as well as ordering the incorrect antibiotic can also lead to bacterial resistance. There are only a handful of 'antibiotics of last resort usage' and it would be wise not to prescribe it for a typical sinus infection.
The true ideal way to prescribe an antibiotic is to get a culture of the sinus area and grow out the bacteria with little antibiotic circles on the agar jelly pans and see which one kills the bacteria -- that is the one to prescribe.
I understand the best way to prescribe. I am in no way shape or form making any sort of recommendation on which antibiotic the OP should be taking. I wouldn't even THINK of doing such a thing.
My only thought was about antibiotic use in general. Inappropriate use of antibiotics also includes giving round after round after round of ineffective ones, thus weakening the immune system, destroying the gut flora balance, and setting up a situation for antibiotic resistance.
@Yes, @KittyLouWhoiToo.
Overuse - using round after round of effective or ineffective antibiotics will set up antibiotic resistance.
Misuse
- Prescribing the incorrect antibiotic, or prescribing a broad spectrum when a narrow-spectrum antibiotic should be used (This is why bacterial cultures should be done in cases such as a sinus infection, but many doctors don't) can also set up antibiotic resistance.
-Manipulating dosage or not completing a full course of the antibiotic will set up bacteria-resistance.
Using a heavy hitter - I wanted to respond to your original question....
The problem with prescribing heavy hitters for any and all patients, indiscriminately, is that those antibiotics that are reserved for really serious illnesses will eventually become bacteria-resistant for everyone due to overuse by the general population. For an individual using a heavy hitter, it becomes more likely that should they ever need to use that heavy hitter again, it will not be effective. We need to reserve our heavy hitters for the most seriously ill people and use them on as limited a basis as possible.
Vancomycin, perhaps the most powerful antibiotic today is now in danger of becoming bacteria-resistant and scientists are in a race to develop new antibiotics to take the place of those becoming ineffective.
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