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Recognizing Antibiotic Resistors: Creating the 'Superbug'
Since the discovery of penicillin in the 1940's, antibiotics have become the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. Life-threatening antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been predicted for years and now, the danger is real. Many microorganisms have developed multi-drug resistance through evolutionary mutation. A drug-resistant strain of the common bacteria staph aureus has already caused the deaths of relatively healthy individuals, and may threaten the public on a much wider scale. This "superbug" is resistant to the last line of defense against staph infection.
Inappropriate patient demand for antibiotics and their widespread use in children, hospitals and even animal feed have all contributed to the superbug problem. Scientists and pharmaceutical companies are racing to stay ahead of these superbugs, and public health officials have made fighting drug resistant bacteria a national priority. A CDC program named "Use antibiotics wisely" is designed to educate patients on misuse of antibiotics, and make doctors more aware of the dangers of over-prescription.
Recognizing Antibiotic Resistors: Creating the Superbug is a 30-minute TV Documentary created for FOX's The Health Network. Part of the award-winning The Cutting Edge Medical Report series, this episode is co-hosted by Stephen Zinner, M.D. of Harvard Medical Center, Donald Low, M.D. of Mount Sinai Hospital and Toronto Medical Laboratories, and John McGowan, M.D. of Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.
This program is produced by Information Television Network and was made possible by an educational grant from Bayer Pharmaceuticals.
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