{"id":3604,"date":"2021-11-22T10:01:22","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T15:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/?p=3604"},"modified":"2021-11-17T15:27:38","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T20:27:38","slug":"be-antibiotics-aware-protecting-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/2021\/11\/be-antibiotics-aware-protecting-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Antibiotics Aware: Protecting Patients"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"viewerContainer\">\n<div id=\"viewer\" class=\"pdfViewer\">\n<div class=\"page\" role=\"region\" data-page-number=\"1\" aria-label=\"Page 1\" data-loaded=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3606\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignright\" style=\"width: 242px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3606 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/Screenshot-2021-11-17-at-15-04-57-Antibiotic-Use-in-the-United-States-Progress-and-Opportunities-2021-Update-stewardship...-232x300.png\" alt=\"cover of 2021 CDC report: antibiotic use in the US\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/Screenshot-2021-11-17-at-15-04-57-Antibiotic-Use-in-the-United-States-Progress-and-Opportunities-2021-Update-stewardship...-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/Screenshot-2021-11-17-at-15-04-57-Antibiotic-Use-in-the-United-States-Progress-and-Opportunities-2021-Update-stewardship....png 489w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Click image to view report<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span id=\"page52R_mcid3\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">During U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/antibiotic-use\/week\/index.html\">Antibiotic Awareness Week<\/a> and <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">throughout the year, CDC promotes <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Be Antibiotics Aware<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">, an educational effort to raise awareness about the <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">importance of safe antibiotic prescribing and use. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">The <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Be Antibiotics Aware<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> initiative provides resources to help improve antibiotic prescribing among healthcare <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">professionals and use among consumers. <\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">CDC\u2019s<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Be Antibiotics Aware<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> educational effort encourages healthcare professionals to: <\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid4\" class=\"markedContent\"><br role=\"presentation\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid4\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Only prescribe antibiotics when they are clinically indicated. Antibiotics are only needed to treat <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">certain infections caused by bacteria, not viruses like SARS-CoV-2. You can do harm by prescribing <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">antibiotics when they are not needed.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid5\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/clinical-guidelines\/\">clinical guidelines<\/a> on how best to evaluate and treat infections.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid6\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Optimizing the use of diagnostic tests is critical for improving treatment of conditions like sepsis and <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">stopping the spread of infections, including those caused by SARS-CoV-2.<\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid7\" class=\"markedContent\"><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Always prescribe the right antibiotic, at the right dose, for the right duration, and at the right time.<\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid8\" class=\"markedContent\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid8\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Using the shortest effective duration of antibiotic therapy is a key antibiotic stewardship<\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">strategy in all health care settings. The goal is to optimize the treatment of the infection while<\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">minimizing the risks of side effects from antibiotics and antibiotic resistance.<\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid9\" class=\"markedContent\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid9\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Only prescribe antibiotics when they are needed. You can do harm by prescribing antibiotics that<\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">aren\u2019t needed.<\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid10\" class=\"markedContent\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid10\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Tell your <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">patients why they don\u2019t need antibiotics for a viral respiratory infection, what to do to feel<\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">better, and when to seek care again if they don\u2019t feel better.<\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid11\" class=\"markedContent\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid11\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Talk to your patients and their families about possible harms from antibiotics, such as allergic<\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">reactions, <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">C. difficile<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">, and antibiotic-resistant infections.<\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid12\" class=\"markedContent\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid12\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Educate your patients and their families to recognize the signs and symptoms of worsening infection<\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">and sepsis, and to know when to seek medical care.<\/span><\/span><span id=\"page52R_mcid13\" class=\"markedContent\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"page52R_mcid13\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">If sepsis is suspected, a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">ntibiotics should be started as soon as possible.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span id=\"page52R_mcid14\" class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Be Antibiotics Aware<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> has resources to help healthcare professionals (in outpatient and inpatient settings) <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">educate patients and families about antibiotic use and risks for potential side effects. For more information, <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">visit:<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/antibiotic-use\/index.html. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"outerContainer\"><em>This article was cross-posted from cdc.gov .<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week and throughout the year, CDC promotes Be Antibiotics Aware, an educational effort to raise awareness about the importance of safe antibiotic prescribing and use. The Be Antibiotics Aware initiative provides resources to help improve antibiotic prescribing among healthcare professionals and use among consumers. CDC\u2019s Be Antibiotics Aware educational effort encourages &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/2021\/11\/be-antibiotics-aware-protecting-patients\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Be Antibiotics Aware: Protecting Patients\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103756,"featured_media":3611,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","odd"],"acf":[],"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/USAAW-2021-FB-TW-e1637180784212.png","featured_image_medium":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/USAAW-2021-FB-TW-e1637180784212-268x300.png","featured_image_medium_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/USAAW-2021-FB-TW-768x432.png","featured_image_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/USAAW-2021-FB-TW-1024x576.png","featured_image_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/563\/2021\/11\/USAAW-2021-FB-TW-150x150.png","featured_image_alt":"US Antibiotic Awareness Week Nov 18-24, 2021 www.cdc.gov be antibiotics aware logo cdc logo","category_details":[{"name":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/category\/news\/"}],"tag_details":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103756"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}