The Death Of Infectious Diseases - 1895 Words

â€Å"A century ago, the top three causes of death were infectious diseases. More than half of all people dying in the United States died because of germs. Today, they account for a few percent of deaths at most. We owe much of that, of course, to antibiotics,† states Aaron Carroll a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine (Carroll). Now, once easily treated bacterial infections are increasingly difficult to treat and rid from a patient’s system because antibiotics can no longer effectively treat some common diseases. Antibiotics are overused and overprescribed; medical professionals use antibiotics to treat viral infections when they are intended for bacterial infections only. With consistent overuse, antibiotic†¦show more content†¦Antibiotics, also known as antimicrobials, are drugs, which fight infections caused by bacteria in both humans and animals. Their primary use is to combat bacterial infection by either killing the bacteria or making it difficult for it to grow and multiply with the use of growth inhibitors. Also, antibiotics do not have any effect on viruses (â€Å"Antibiotic Resistance†). The intended use of antibiotics is to treat infections or disease caused by bacteria such as Salmonella, Gonorrhea, and Influenza. Sir Alexander Fleming discovered antibiotics in 1928 after returning to his lab to find Petri dishes contaminated with Staphylococcus Aureus and later realized the mold had the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria (Markel). The bacteria growth-inhibiting mold Dr. Fleming discovered later became the drug penicillin. This new medication’s first use was fourteen years after his discovery, in March 1942, to successfully treat a patient who had developed a bacterial infection after miscarrying, which later led to blood poisoning (Markel). More often than not doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat viral infections when their primary purpose is to fight bacterial infections. The inappropriate use of antibiotics in the medical field is the leading cause in the ever-growing trend of antibiotic resistance. Another ramification to this cause is inadequate diagnostics. Regularly, healthcare providers must use incomplete or imperfect