There are medicines today for bacterial infections that not so long ago prevented the spread of disease and even reduced serious complications. Unfortunately, overprescribing them has led to resistant bacteria to pneumococcal infections like pneumonia, meningitis, MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and tuberculosis, to cite a few examples. It is becomingly increasingly less uncommon that when there has been an over-usage or misusage of antibiotics, there are abnormal bacteria that proliferate in the gastrointestinal tract. The “good” bacteria are killed by antibiotics. C-difficile, which not so long ago was a sickness found in nursing homes and hospital acquired infections, is becoming prevalent in the general population. The havoc that it wreaks on a person’s bowels and their frequent trips to the bathroom are far from pleasant. The antibiotics for this are difficult to administer to a child. Fecal
transplants, which are needed to reset healthy gut flora, are becoming growing in number. Further, studies from Israel show that the earlier the introduc-
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sistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are part of a group of germs that live in the intestines of some people. They’re related to E. coli, which are normal to have in your intestine and
Believe your doctor when he tells you that antibiotics are not at that moment warranted and that you should wait it out.
tion of antibiotics to an infant or child, the greater the chance of them becoming obese when older. Why? Because overusing and/or misusing antibiotics changes the gut flora. Then there are superbugs. You read it correctly. Carbapenem-re-
stool. The difference is that these germs mutate and become resistant to antibiotics. Some CRE are resistant to so many medications that they are untreatable and, unfortunately, up to half of patients infected may die. This is trouble-
some because carbapenems used to be one of the only antibiotics that could successfully treat another Enterobacter “superbugs.” Yes, I am scaring you with facts. When partnering with your doctor, trust him when he says to wait out something or to return in several days for a recheck. This might cost you another copay (which is part of your insurance plan, not something “extra” for the doctor), and I understand that costs add up. But working with your doctor smartly can save you from problems down the road and on the other end. Everybody wants the best for you and your family. As always, daven.
Dr. Hylton I. Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd.com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.