CDC Director: Antibiotic Resistance Could Pose a Huge Threat

I do not take antibiotics unless I am on death's door, and recently I took them when I cut the tip of my thumb off. I don't take them because they kill the good bacteria in your body along with the bad, and because I don't want to build up resistance to them. I admit that I chuckled and shook my head in dismay that this is "news."

CDC Director: Antibiotic Resistance Could Pose a Huge Threat

Cheri Cheng
Update Date: Jul 23, 2014 09:54 AM EDT
Thomas Frieden

"We talk about the pre-antibiotic era and the antibiotic era; if we're not careful we will soon be in the post-antibiotic era," CDC Director, Thomas Frieden stated. (Photo : Wiki Commons)

According to the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic resistance could pose a huge threat in the near future. Director Thomas Frieden stressed the importance of taking immediate action before the situation becomes the "next pandemic."

"Every day we delay it becomes harder and more expensive to fix this problem," he said on Tuesday according to The Hill. "We talk about the pre-antibiotic era and the antibiotic era; if we're not careful we will soon be in the post-antibiotic era. And, in fact, for some patients and some pathogens we're already there."

Antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria are dangerous because they do not respond to the traditional kinds of antibiotics. Without treatment, patients' survival rates can dip drastically. Frieden reported that around 23,000 Americans die every year due to infections that have become resistant to medications. In order to prevent this number from growing, Frieden stated that the healthcare system has to be more effective in identifying patients carrying drug-resistant strains. By identifying them early, doctors can prevent the spread of these deadly infections.

"Anti-microbial resistance has the potential to harm or kill anyone in the country, undermine modern medicine, to devastate our economy and to make our health care system less stable," Frieden said reported by USA Today. "We always want to be part of the solution, but sometimes in health we're part of the problem."

The director added that medical professionals have to avoid overprescribing antibiotics. Researchers believe that the development of these resistant strains is linked to the excessive use of antibiotics.

"We've done a study that says about a third of all antibiotics used in this country are either unnecessary or inappropriate," Frieden said.

In response to this growing problem, the CDC will be launching a new program that will allow hospitals to monitor all of the antibiotics that are being dispensed. Hospitals will also have access to real-time patterns of antibiotic resistance so that doctors become aware of which medications will be the most effective to use. The CDC added that hospitals could help prevent drug resistance by incorporating an "antibiotic stewardship program," which would track how antibiotics are being used.

Frieden also addressed the recent problems with laboratory safety lapses.

http://www.counselheal.com/articles/10570/20140723/cdc-director-antibiotic-resistance-could-pose-a-huge-threat.htm

Cut the tip of your thumb off..Girl ?

And when most of the bacteria is dead due to the antibiotics and there are a few somewhat resistant left to die, stupid humans declare themselves free of sickness and don't finish their antibiotics. This allows the somewhat resistant bacteria to live and the cycle continues until a truly resistant strain evolves.

Take all your antibiotics!

TEOTWAWKI wrote:

Cut the tip of your thumb off..Girl ?

You cannot seriously be surprised, T. This is me we're talking about. But yes, I did. I cut a little less than the top inch of my thumb off... I cut all the way through my thumb nail, etc. It took me a moment to realize what I'd done, then I calmly pressed it back on, ripped up a sterile rag, wrapped it, got some electrical tape out of my bag, taped it up, and eventually drove myself to the ER. They sewed it back on and I went back to work, lol.

 

Uh, wait. Did I forget to mention that I got all the stitches without painkillers because I did not want to have to leave my truck in Fairbanks?? Yes, that also happened. I cussed and yelled and hollered during the stitches, but I did not move a single muscle.

Eric wrote:

And when most of the bacteria is dead due to the antibiotics and there are a few somewhat resistant left to die, stupid humans declare themselves free of sickness and don't finish their antibiotics.  This allows the somewhat resistant bacteria to live and the cycle continues until a truly resistant strain evolves.

Take all your antibiotics!

Oh yes, if I DO have to take them, I go whole-hog and take all of them, on time, as directed.

Damn, Gurl!

You da man... er, WOman!

I thought you might have sliced a little sliver. Ouch!

Howinhell did you do that?

---

We had an old VW dune buggy truck back in the 1960's and kept it parked at a public parking lot on Perdido Key (called Gulf Beach at the time). Somehow, the trunk lid got stuck and people couldn't get it open, and they mangled it with a crow bar. I grabbed the lid and pulled it open, slicing lengthways all the way through my left thumb. About one & a half inches on one side and just a nick on the other, but all the way through, barely missing the bone.

What did I do about it? Went surfing, of course. When I got home, I put a big band aid on it.

I still have no feeling on part of my thumb.

I did it trimming produce while working the wet rack, which is the area in a produce department where all the romaine, green leaf, green onions, broccoli,... everything that needs to be washed and trimmed, then put under that area where they have the sprinklers.

Ouch that made me cringe riceme...you didn't even take something to numb the stitches ! ....wow tough cookie. One of my little whoops was I was kicking off a football in a family game when my foot hit the ball wearing a pair of thin deck shoes my big toe nail ripped off and stood straight up underneath the lite canvas.

No, I took the hydrocodone they gave me afterwards though, you better believe. Ugh, the toenail gives me the willies. That hurts just thinking about it.

What part were you giggling about in this article riceme?

where they claim to be watching prescriptions of antibiotics? because they have been cracking down on that for a while. add numerous other medications to that list. basically they don't wan your doc scared to prescribe anything. doc appointments should just be verbal visits, go home, take it easy, take Tylenol.

or the part where they cant even run their own labs when they have extreme measures for private labs. I didn't laugh at that part but thought, go figure. Another example of gov run bust.

My brother would probably still be alive if he hadn't taken Tylenol. The combination of Tylenol and alcohol killed his liver.

I stay away from Tylenol for the most part... and NEVER drink alcohol if I took Tylenol.

About the only time I will take Tylenol is if it has a #3 or #4 on the prescription bottle.

*~Tree~* wrote:

What part were you giggling about in this article riceme?

where they claim to be watching prescriptions of antibiotics? because they have been cracking down on that for a while. add numerous other medications to that list. basically they don't wan your doc scared to prescribe anything. doc appointments should just be verbal visits, go home, take it easy, take Tylenol.

or the part where they cant even run their own labs when they have extreme measures for private labs. I didn't laugh at that part but thought, go figure. Another example of gov run bust.

Just amused that it is news to people that we build up a resistance to antibiotics. Crazy

Eric wrote:

My brother would probably still be alive if he hadn't taken Tylenol.  The combination of Tylenol and alcohol killed his liver.

I stay away from Tylenol for the most part... and NEVER drink alcohol if I took Tylenol.

About the only time I will take Tylenol is if it has a #3 or #4 on the prescription bottle.

Im sorry. I don't think I was clear in what I said. I was implying the doctors don't like to prescribe anything anymore and will just tell you to go home and take a Tylenol. At least they are down here.

*~Tree~* wrote:

Eric wrote:

My brother would probably still be alive if he hadn't taken Tylenol.  The combination of Tylenol and alcohol killed his liver.

I stay away from Tylenol for the most part... and NEVER drink alcohol if I took Tylenol.

About the only time I will take Tylenol is if it has a #3 or #4 on the prescription bottle.

Im sorry. I don't think I was clear in what I said. I was implying the doctors don't like to prescribe anything anymore and will just tell you to go home and take a Tylenol. At least they are down here.

It's a longer story than just the Tylenol. He had one of those long-term shingles cases and it was on the middle of his forehead. Nerve blocks didn't help and drugs by themselves didn't work. After a couple of years of excruciating pain and lack of sleep, he found that the pills and a bottle of whisky would put him to sleep. Yeah, I know how dangerous that is.

It killed his liver, so much Tylenol and so much alcohol. Did it pretty quick too.

He was a headhunter for a bunch of hospital chains and if he hadn't, they would have denied his transplant due to alcohol being the cause. He had to appeal to folks he had helped get hired. He got the transplant and another kidney and was on anti-rejection drugs. An opportunistic cancer took advantage of his lowered immunity and it killed him.

A lot of folks that overdose on Tylenol (and survive) screw up their livers pretty good... without the alcohol. It is pretty toxic stuff.

Eric wrote:

*~Tree~* wrote:

Eric wrote:

My brother would probably still be alive if he hadn't taken Tylenol.  The combination of Tylenol and alcohol killed his liver.

I stay away from Tylenol for the most part... and NEVER drink alcohol if I took Tylenol.

About the only time I will take Tylenol is if it has a #3 or #4 on the prescription bottle.

Im sorry. I don't think I was clear in what I said. I was implying the doctors don't like to prescribe anything anymore and will just tell you to go home and take a Tylenol. At least they are down here.

It's a longer story than just the Tylenol.  He had one of those long-term shingles cases and it was on the middle of his forehead.  Nerve blocks didn't help and drugs by themselves didn't work.  After a couple of years of excruciating pain and lack of sleep, he found that the pills and a bottle of whisky would put him to sleep.  Yeah, I know how dangerous that is.

It killed his liver, so much Tylenol and so much alcohol.  Did it pretty quick too.

He was a headhunter for a bunch of hospital chains and if he hadn't, they would have denied his transplant due to alcohol being the cause.  He had to appeal to folks he had helped get hired.  He got the transplant and another kidney and was on anti-rejection drugs.  An opportunistic cancer took advantage of his lowered immunity and it killed him.

A lot of folks that overdose on Tylenol (and survive) screw up their livers pretty good... without the alcohol.  It is pretty toxic stuff.

Sorry to hear that story. Its heart breaking. My condolences first of all. You are correct. Tylenol is a harsh large molecule.

They are trying to remove it from most pain killers because of liver disease being so common. Pain med usage is a epidemic in America and the Tylenol has proven to be very harmful to many.

I admit, I take it though. I don't take any prescribed meds at all. But I love my over the counter meds. and You know, thy don't work. I don't know why I keep taking them.