|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
Specialists call on the people not to self-medicate with antibiotics By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Specialists of Social Security have called on the people to make the correct and rational use of antibiotics because of the increase in respiratory infections in this period of the rainy season. According to Esteban Vega, a physician and national coordinator of Pharmaceutical Services, the increase in resistance to antibiotics worries specialists, who warn about the danger that this represents for the treatment of infectious diseases. According to Vega, the misuse of antibiotics leads to an increase in the resistance of bacteria to the usual drugs. That means if a patient does not take the full dose of these drugs to eliminate an infection, these microorganisms become stronger or mutate and, consequently, the number of effective antibiotics is reduced. Also, the inappropriate practice of some people to self-medicate with antibiotics to treat, erroneously, viral infections such as flu, colds, sore throats or other symptoms for which these drugs are not effective, generates that the bacteria, naturally find in the organism, develop resistance and begin to spread, he said. To avoid committing these common errors, a patient must seek the expert assessment of a doctor, who is qualified to confirm if a bacterial infection is present and evaluate criteria, such as: the patient's age, size, area of infection, possible history of allergy to some medications and in the case of children, weight, he said. All these evaluations have the aim of prescribing the ideal antibiotic in the appropriate dose and during the strictly necessary period, he added. Vega said that antibiotics should be used only when there was a medical prescription that supports the clinical evidence of bacterial infection, and must strictly comply with the dose and frequency, and the days of treatment should be reduced without a medical reason. Likewise, the specialist said that infections by pathogens resistant to antibiotics increase the duration of the period in which a patient must be hospitalized and the corresponding medical costs. According to the specialist, people can avoid overdose or developing antibiotics resistance by following these tips: - Do not self-medicate. - Complete the dose of medicines, even if the symptoms improve. - Do not use or share leftovers of antibiotics. - If there are leftover antibiotics, they should be returned to the respective pharmacies for proper disposal. - Implement infection prevention measures by washing hands frequently and avoid contact with sick people, as well as applying the correct coughing and sneezing protocol. ---------------- What other recommendation would you give to avoid overdose or development of drug resistance? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com |
   |
      |
