drugs

Antibiotics: How long do you take them?

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Generality

In the strict sense of the term, antibiotics are drugs of natural origin used to treat or prevent numerous types of bacterial infections. The substances of synthetic origin with antibacterial action are instead defined as " antibacterial chemotherapy ".

However, in the common language, the term "antibiotic" is used to indicate drugs of both natural and synthetic origin.

Thanks to the advent of antibiotics it has been possible to treat diseases that were once lethal, greatly improving people's lives. Therefore, these drugs can be defined as essential drugs.

However - despite the remarkable development that the research has had in this sector and despite the high number of drugs discovered - today, we are witnessing a gradual reduction in the therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics, due, above all, to their abuse and incorrect and unconscious use.

In fact, the abuse and misuse of these drugs have had dramatic consequences, in that they have favored the development of resistant bacterial strains that are completely insensitive to antibiotic therapy itself.

To better understand the importance of the correct use of antibiotics, it is useful to make a brief introduction to the phenomenon of resistance.

Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a phenomenon in which bacteria become resistant to antibiotic therapy. In other words, the antibiotic becomes unable to inhibit growth or kill the target microorganism.

It is important to know that the resistance can be of two types:

  • Intrinsic resistance, that is a resistance already present in the bacterium even before taking the drug;
  • Acquired or induced resistance, ie resistance develops in the bacterium only after administration of the antibiotic.

The abuse and misuse of antibiotics have favored the development of the acquired resistance phenomenon.

More precisely, the onset of resistance is due to wrong behaviors on the part of patients and, sometimes, to errors on the part of prescribers. These incorrect behaviors are:

  • Patients' self-prescription of antibiotics, even when they would not be necessary (although any antibiotics can only be purchased upon presentation of a prescription);
  • Prescription of antibiotics even when their use is not necessary, for example in the case where the infection can resolve itself without the need for pharmacological treatment, or in the case of colds or viral infections;
  • Prescription and administration of inadequate antibiotics to treat the ongoing infection;
  • Overuse or misuse of antibiotics in prophylaxis treatments;
  • Taking a different amount of antibiotic - less or more than it is - from that prescribed by your doctor;
  • Taking the antibiotic for a different period (usually less) than that prescribed by your doctor.

Optimal duration of antibiotic therapy

The optimal duration of the antibiotic treatment must be such as to control the bacterial infection - and possibly eliminate it completely - while preventing recurrences.

For some types of infections, the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy is well defined, while for other types it will be the doctor who determines the duration of treatment based on the type of infection and the patient's condition.

It is very important that patients follow the instructions given by the doctor and that they do not adopt the "do-it-yourself technique", in order to ensure a correct treatment of the infection and avoid the onset of possible harmful effects.

Early discontinuation of antibiotics

Stopping the use of antibiotics before the end of the treatment recommended by the doctor can cause very harmful effects.

It often happens that patients, as soon as they feel better, stop the antibiotic treatment. However, the fact that signs of improvement are noted does not mean that the bacterial infection has been completely eradicated; in other words, there may be surviving bacteria.

Bacteria that have not been killed - or whose growth has not been drastically inhibited by antibiotic therapy - continue to multiply. This can favor not only the reappearance of the infection and the symptoms associated with it, but it can also favor the onset of resistance against the antibiotic used.

Therefore - in case of recurrence - to eradicate the new infection, further treatment may be necessary, which in turn may require the use of a higher dose of the previously used antibiotic or even the use of another one may be necessary type of drug due to the development of resistance.

Prolonged exposure to antibiotics

As stated above, early discontinuation of antibiotic therapy may favor the reappearance of the infection and may require a new antibiotic treatment with the same drug or with a different drug.

This situation causes the patient to suffer prolonged exposure to antibiotics. This prolonged exposure has consequences, such as:

  • Increased risk of incidence of side effects due to the antibiotic itself, such as - for example - nausea, vomiting and diarrhea;
  • Increased risk of development of antibiotic resistance by infection-causing bacteria.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the doctor's directives on the duration of antibiotic therapy must be scrupulously respected and not abbreviated on their own, in order to avoid the appearance of relapses and the development of resistance by the bacteria responsible for the infection.

However, care must be taken not to make the opposite mistake; that is - if there is no improvement in the symptoms - you should not take a higher dose than the prescribed one and you should not prolong the treatment beyond the prescribed deadline, but you need to talk to your doctor.

To guarantee the therapeutic efficacy of antibiotic therapy it is therefore essential:

  • Take antibiotics only when actually needed and only when they are prescribed by your doctor;
  • Take the antibiotic in the dose and for the duration established by the doctor;
  • Do not make changes to antibiotic therapy on your own without first discussing it with your doctor.