Int'l Antibiotics Awareness Week

The week of November 18-24 is marked annually as International Antibiotics Awareness Week. Prof. Itzik Levy, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Schneider Children's, reminds parents that antibiotics should be administered properly so that children do not develop a resistance to antibiotics. 

• Antibiotic resistance is a difficult universal problem that is on the increase among world populations
  
  
• Resistance to antibiotics can lead to situations where there is no suitable treatment for the sick child
  
  
• The main causes for antibiotic resistance is its over-use and incorrect application
  
  
• It is important to remember that antibiotics is not the appropriate treatment in most illnesses, such as viruses or flu
  
  
• Meticulous hand hygiene and the prevention of contamination are critical factors in preventing the spread of resistant bacteria
  
  
• Vaccinations should be administered to children at the appointed age; vaccines minimize incidence and the need for antibiotics
  
  
• Antibiotics should only be administered according to doctor's instructions
  
  
• The course of treatment should be completed according to doctor's instructions, such as in bacterial throat infections; even when there has been an improvement in the child's condition, antibiotics should be continued in order to prevent future complications