Page 110 - 2020 ARE eGuide for Clinical at Nonhospital Sites

Antibiotic Awareness Why We Must Act Now

The way we use antibiotics today or
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in one patient directly impacts how
identified that 20–50% of all antibiotics prescribed in U.S. effective they will be tomorrow or
acute care hospitals are either unnecessary or in another patient; they are a
inappropriate and has led to resistance. shared resource.
Antibiotic Resistance Can Travel the Globe • Antibiotic resistance is not just a
problem for the person with the
Often called superbugs, some bacteria are already infection. Some resistant
resistant to most or all known antibiotics. One example is bacteria have the potential to
CRE, a family of germs that is resistant to our most spread to others when proper
powerful drugs of last-resort.
precautions are not taken.
Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) • Antibiotics only treat bacterial
infections, a type of CRE, were once seen in limited infections. Viral illnesses cannot
locations in the U.S., but are now found throughout the be treated with antibiotics.
country.