Antibiotic Stewardship

Asking the right questions can improve your antibiotic stewardship. Exam room conversations change for the better when you ask smart and important questions.

Doctor, are you certain I need this antibiotic?

Odds are, the fact that you find yourself in an emergency room or doctor’s office, likely proves that if you were concerned enough to be there, you likely need that antibiotic.

“A key clue to when a sick person may have a fungal infection is that he or she is being treated with medications for other types of infection but does not get better.” Center For Disease Control, 2018

In my opinion, the dangers associated with antibiotics have nothing to do with the use of them, but the misuse of them.  Yes, we are at that point in medicine, that many medical journals are now requesting doctors try to achieve “antibiotic stewardship.” Of course, this is a kind way of saying “only use them when you’re certain the patient has a bacterial infection.”  What the above CDC quote teaches you and me is that if antibiotics aren’t helping you get better, your infection is likely not bacterial. It’s time to think about a fungal infection and an antifungal drug.

Another key to safely using antibiotics is to chase them with a good probiotic supplement for a few months to restore the delicate terrain (microbiome) that is negatively impacted by antibiotics. Talk to your doctors about these things.

A new study (1) states the obvious, making me wonder why its publication was even necessary.  It states, “Antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections like the common cold, flu, or COVID-19. They also won’t work on fungal infections. Using antibiotics for these conditions can lead to unnecessary side-effects and contribute to antibiotic resistance.”

If this statement is accurate, why were millions of antibiotic prescriptions written for people with COVID-19 during the past few years?  Covid-19, we were told, is caused by a virus, not bacteria. The CDC stated, “Almost 80% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 received an antibiotic from March to October 2020…”

Antibiotic stewardship has been requested by medical authorities for decades, yet little has changed. The same CDC who apprised us that antibiotics were and are being dispensed for viral infections now tell us that almost 1/3 of all antibiotic prescriptions we get are unnecessary.  There are two adults in an exam room, and one is likely going to prescribe-it’s what they do.  The other must listen very carefully and inquire as to possible alternatives if they feel that the prescribed medication is unnecessary.  Antibiotics can be lifesaving when prescribed properly (e.g.…for bacterial infections) but they can also cause very, very serious health consequences when improperly (e.g.…for fungal infections) prescribed for extended periods of time. Discuss these items with your doctor.

Research and References

1. StudyFinds: https://studyfinds.org/when-to-take-antibiotics/

Related Recipes and Articles

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What are the Benefits of Prebiotics?

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