about your antibiotictreatment. or antibioticresistance. But whenantibioticsareneeded, thebenefits ofsideeffects outweigh therisks because theycancausesideeffects andleadtoantibioticresistance. for life-threatening conditionssuchassepsis. They needtobeusedproperly tools for treatinganumber ofcommoninfections, suchaspneumonia, and circumstances, suchasbefore surgery. Antibiotics save lives, andtheyarecritical that requiresantibiotics, orneedsantibioticstoprevent aninfection incertain Your healthcareteamhasdecidedyou oryour loved onehasaninfection in theHospitalfor anInfection You’ve BeenPrescribed an Antibiotic There are some important thingsyou shouldknow There aresomeimportant • • • even stop, your antibiotic. healthcare teammightchange, or After afew days oftreatment, your • antibiotic. tests before you takingan start Your healthcare teammay run • antibiotic orders as needed—an important asneeded—animportant antibiotic orders culture results, andstoporchange your clinicalconditionandmicrobiology basedon afteritisstarted 48 to72hours Your teammay reviewantibiotictherapy they willchangeyour antibiotic. would bebettertotreatyour infection, If testresultsshow adifferent antibiotic on anantibiotic. making you sick, you your teamhasstarted tofind outwhatis While theyareworking best. all and, ifyou do, whichantibioticwillwork ifyou needanantibioticat to determine look for bacteria. These testsareimportant blood, teststo orotherareas)torun urine Your teammay take samples(fromyour that theantibioticyou’re takingwon’t work out thatyou don’thave aninfection, or not needanantibioticatall. They may find information, theymightdecidethatyou do In somecases, onceyour teamhasmore step inyour care. against your infection. Forexample, an infection caused by a virus can’tbe infection causedby avirus treated withantibiotics. Staying on anantibioticwhenyou don’t side effects could still hurt you. side effects couldstillhurt need itwon’t helpyou andthe • • from your antibiotic. You may experience sideeffects • • you areadmittedtothehospital. any when known allergies Let your healthcareteamknow ifyou have effects. Someofthesecanbeserious. Like allmedications, antibioticshave side » » damage anddeath. thatcanleadtosevere colondiarrhea reactions.allergic C. difficile difficile Clostridium sideeffects includeThe mostserious infections, anddiarrhea. include rash, dizziness, nausea, yeast Common sideeffects ofantibioticscan » » no longergettinganantibiotic. you even develop after you diarrhea are should letyour healthcareteamknow if you arenolongergettingantibiotics. You last for monthseven uptoseveral after ofgetting The risk your healthcareteamknow immediately. antibiotic andyou develop diarrhea, let treated quickly. When you aretakingan andmust berecognizedserious and causedby Diarrhea or C. diff C. difficile infection (alsocalled ) andlife-threatening C. difficile C. difficile
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CS287039-A As a patient or caregiver, it is important Remember, antibiotics are life-saving drugs to understand your or your loved one’s antibiotic treatment. It is especially important and they need to be used properly. If you have for caregivers to speak up when patients can’t speak any questions about your antibiotics, please for themselves. Here are some important questions to ask your healthcare team. talk to your healthcare team. • What infection is this antibiotic treating and how do you know I have that infection? • Is the antibiotic being prescribed the most targeted to treat the infection while causing the least side effects? • What side effects might occur from this antibiotic? • How long will I need to take this antibiotic? • Is it safe to take this antibiotic with other medications or supplements (e.g., vitamins) I am taking? • Are there any special directions I need to know about taking this antibiotic? For example, should I take it with food? • How will I be monitored to know whether my infection is responding to the antibiotic? • What should I do if my infection doesn’t get better or gets worse? • What tests may help to make sure the right antibiotic is prescribed for me? HOSPITAL INFORMATION/LOGO HERE
To learn more about antibiotic prescribing and use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use.