Antibiotics are used mainly for treatment of infections caused by bacteria. They act either by stopping the multiplication of bacteria or killing bacteria. Hence, an adequate dose of antibiotics should be given at appropriate intervals to achieve this purpose.

It is important to use antibiotics only if necessary and should be prescribed by a doctor. They should not be used for treatment of viral infections such as common cold or viral diarrheas which are self limiting and do not benefit from use of these drugs. Selection of antibiotics is based on how effective the drug is on a particular bacterium. Thus, they should only be used when prescribed by a doctor. Inappropriate use of antibiotics leads to the problem of antibiotic resistance. As a result some antibiotics may become ineffective when used for certain bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance is a global problem. To reduce resistance the following are recommended.

1.   Use of antibiotics only when necessary; avoid self medication

2.   Use of the correct dose for the appropriate duration. Follow the doctor’s advice about the correct dosage regimen. Do not stop antibiotics early when you feel better. Do not keep any remaining antibiotics at home and such antibiotics should not be given to any other person. Look at the expiry date of the antibiotic.

3.   Do not use antibiotics for prevention of bacterial infection except in specific instances to be decided by your doctor

Antibiotics such as penicillins are known to cause allergic or hypersensitivity reactions. These reactions could be either mild or severe. Mild reactions include itching, urticarial rash, swelling round the eyes. If an allergic reaction develops stop the drug immediately and consult your doctor. Severe reactions may be life threatening if not treated immediately in hospital and comprise difficulty in breathing, low blood pressure and collapse. It is important to inform your doctor when you consult him if you have developed allergic reactions to penicillin or any other antibiotic earlier so that an alternate antibiotic can be given. Ask your doctor about adverse effects and precautions. Antibiotics are given orally or by injection depending on the severity of the infection. For children antibiotic suspensions are given. These are available as powder for reconstitution. Usually the pharmacists prepare the suspension, however if the pharmacist does not prepare the solution ask the pharmacist about the correct method of preparation and administration. Once reconstituted the suspension must be stored properly, ask for advice from the pharmacist. Some antibiotics such as erythromycin and oral penicillin should be given before meals to increase absorption. Ask your doctor about administration of antibiotics in relation to meals. In pregnancy only some antibiotics are considered to be safe where as some may be harmful to the foetus. Please obtain information from your doctor about the safety of antibiotics in pregnancy.

Examples of commonly used antibiotics include: amoxicillin, cloxacillin, benzylpenicillin, co-amoxiclav, erythromycin, ciproxacillin, cefalexin, tetracyclin