Antibiotics: Advantages, Disadvantages, Rules for Patients

It’s already been said and written a lot about benefits and harm of antibiotics intake. We decided to find out who and when is advised to take these drugs, and in which cases their intake should be avoided during the treatment.

Many parents argue about whether or not a child should be treated with these drugs. Some of them, being afraid of side effects, try to cure their baby without using anti-infective drugs; others, on the contrary, having any mild disorder ask a doctor to prescribe them antibiotics, and sometimes even self-medicate. In fact, as in any other matter, antimicrobial therapy requires competent, balanced approach.

Antibiotics are useless against viruses since they affect only bacteria. This means that they can not be used at ARVI, but often they are necessary if a virus is accompanied by a bacterial infection.

Advantages of Antibiotics

  • These drugs are necessary for curing bacterial infections, sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis. Without adequate therapy such diseases are fraught with serious complications, including death;
  • Antimicrobial therapy after surgery prevents inflammatory complications and diapyesis;
  • Most antibiotics have a local effect, affecting only inflammation area, and do not harm the body as a whole.

antibiotics for childr

Disadvantages of Antibiotics

  • Dysbacteriosis. Of course, this is something every parent is afraid of – the disorder of intestinal tract, mouth flora and so on. Yes, there is no point to deny that such complications after antibiotics intake are not uncommon. That is why a competent pediatrician prescribes them together with bifid- and lactic bacteria, which normalize flora and do not let dysbacteriosis to develop. However, there is an issue: it’s very important to maintain the interval between both medications’ intake – not less than 2-3 hours (bifidobacteria should be taken in 2 hours after taking the drug), otherwise, antibiotics may affect useful probiotic bacteria.
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Only a doctor can decide whether or not to prescribe these medications. Each antibiotic affects strictly a specific group of microorganisms that are sensitive to it. The wrong choice of the drug, dosage, duration of administration are fraught with negative consequences for health. Canadian Health&Care Mall will help to find the proper medicaments according to your doctor’s prescription and provides consultation about prices online 27/7.

Watch the video on which the expert shares his opinion how to treat ARVI with antibiotics application:

Many parents believe that antibiotics influence the child’s appetite. That is not true. Indeed, while taking these drugs, a child may refuse to eat, not because of the drug, but infection (adults rarely have a good appetite during illness too)

How To Take Antibiotics?

  1. Antibiotics are taken not 2 or 3 times a day but in exact time intervals. If the instruction says 2 times a day, it means exactly in 12 hours, if 3 times a day – in every 8 hours. Only such approach creates the optimal concentration of the drug in the blood, necessary for bacteria destruction;
  2. If you forgot to take drug, do not double the dose next time. However, the drug should be taken as soon as possible;
  3. You must not increase or decrease dosage prescribed by your doctor. Unfortunately, this is a quite common practice. Parents want to cure their child, but without any harm from “terrible antibiotic”. And they find an “optimal way” – to give a child the drug, but in a lower dosage. As the result, it only brings negative effect – the infection is not cured and the body is harmed;
  4. It is better to take medication with clear water, rather than with any other liquid (juice, tea);
  5. It is important to read the instruction and learn how to take specific antibiotics – before or after a meal. Best of all is to undergo a test for sensitivity to antibiotics. This will allow choosing the best, most appropriate and effective drug in the particular situation;
  6. If the pharmacy did not have the desired drug and pharmacist offers to replace it by its analog, you should discuss this issue with your doctor.
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antibiotics for childYou mustn’t stop taking antibiotics as soon as the child feels better and the temperature is subdued. It is necessary to complete a course the doctor prescribed. Otherwise, the infection can become chronic or anticipate.

A violation of the above-mentioned rules often causes complications and side effects.

Thus, properly chosen antibacterial agent together with the appropriate recommendations gives positive effect. It helps to cure meningitis and sepsis, pyelonephritis and sinusitis, pneumonia and septic abscesses. The most important rule is to find a competent doctor to prescribe a drug, and then there will be no need to worry about disadvantages of antibiotics.