About "superbugs" in the news

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

I have seen/heard several reports in the last few weeks on both local and national news services in regards to the growing prevalence of c. diff and MRSA. This is fine, this is an issue that should be discussed as there are so many people who are affected by them. Lord knows, some days we have more patients in isolation than not.

HOWEVER, not one article or report that I have come across recently had any information about how the incorrect use of antibiotics contributes to the resistance factor of these germs, or even referenced going to some place like the CDC website for more information. It's all this super scary information with no emphasis on treatment or prevention (aside from frequent handwashing). What is the point of the articles then?

When we started going to a new pediatrician just over two years ago, I noticed that every exam room had CDC guidelines for antibiotic use posted, with an explanation beneath from the docs at that practice that translated into terms that laypeople could understand. Basically, the message was "There are scary germs out there, and using antibiotics wrong can make the problem worse. So if I give you a prescription for antibiotics, make sure that your child takes it for the full course prescribed. If I don't give you a prescription for antibiotics, it is because my medical expertise has determined that they will not help; it is not because I am not listening to you or do not wish to address your child's illness, it is because this is the best course of action. ANTIBIOTICS DO NOT KILL VIRUSES."

I had to point out that I had noticed and compliment them on it, and the sheer number of people that they were educating just b/c they had this one piece of paper posted in their rooms. The doc's comment was along the lines of "Yeah, I thought it would help more than it has." Unfortunately, my little guys are prone to ear infections and pneumonia, so we have to use antibiotics more often than I'd like. My older son is allergic to anything related to PCN, so we have to use harder hitting antibiotics for him. Because of this, and my knowledge about antibiotics and bugs, I wait until all traditional (for lack of a better word) methods have been exhausted before even taking them into the doc.

We've got PSAs on the TV/radio about drug abuse, child abuse, literacy rates, bullying, etc. Why not some about what the general public needs to know about the relationship between the way they use antibiotics in general (either overuse or not finishing regimen) and how it can contribute to the "ever growing epidemic" (to quote one recent news report) of superbugs?

Sorry, this has just been getting on my nerves more and more, and I wanted to vent to people who probably understand where I'm coming from!

[Katnip, RN]

I agree with you. Because the media is making such a fuss, it's causing more than usual anxiety in people. Merchandisers don't help matters by selling so many antibacterial products. Do we really need antibacterial laundry detergent and shampoo? But people think it's worth the extra $, and they think they need an antibiotic for every little sniffle.

I had an acquaintance once who was a nurse, and the miniute her children showed sings of a sniffle (and this is not an exaggeration) she hauled them to the doc and insisted on antibiotics. They were never allowed to be sick. Not that the abx did much good. Now, those kids are grown and constantly sick.;

My kids, on the other hand, caught everything, recovered, and went on with it. They played in the dirt, if they dropped a Cheerio on the floor, they picked it up and ate it. There were a few cases of strep throat over the years where they did need abx, but it was rare. Now, they are hardly ever sick, even with minor things.

People need to understand their own immune systems are the best first line of defense and to develop that, you sometimes just gotta sneeze.