A student asks the pharmacology instructor if there is a way to increase the benefits and decrease the risks of antibiotic therapy. What would be an appropriate response by the instructor?
A) Taking drugs not prescribed for the particular illness tends to maximize risks and minimize benefits.
B) Never use antibiotics in combination with other prescriptions or in combination with other antibiotics.
C) Maximize antibiotic drug therapy by administering the full dose when the patient has a fever.
D) Use antibiotics cautiously and teach patients to complete the full course of an antibiotic prescription.
D
Feedback:
To prevent or contain the growing threat of drug-resistant strains of bacteria, it is very important to use antibiotics cautiously, to complete the full course of an antibiotic prescription, and to avoid saving antibiotics for self-medication in the future. A patient and family teaching program should address these issues, as well as the proper dosing procedure for the drug (even if the patient feels better) and the importance of keeping a record of any reactions to antibiotics. Thus, taking drugs not prescribed for the particular illness tends to maximize risks and minimize benefits. Also, if the infection is viral, antibacterial drugs are ineffective and should not be used.
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