One morning eight months ago, football player Drew Griggs
had a fever. Later that day, he went to the hospital, gasping for
breath. Drew says, “They had to wheel me in a wheel chair
because I couldn’t catch my breath to walk really.”

By nightfall—Drew was in a coma– tied to an artificial lung
for weeks. Drew’s mom Bonnie Griggs says, “The doctors
looked at him and they gave him a 30 percent chance to live.”

Drew had MRSA—–a staph bacteria that infected his lungs. “Superbugs” like
this one are becoming more common.

Dr. Bob Harrison, an epidemiologist and infectious disease consultant
at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta says, “ The major
reason we are seeing antibiotic resistance is overuse of antibiotics
in the population for illnesses that don’t require antibiotics—typically
colds, sore throats, quote bronchitis unquote. Illnesses that would
resolve by themselves because they are caused by viruses—but
generate an antibiotic prescription. ”

Athletes often pick up the bacteria through skin to skin contact.
Dr. Harrison says, “We are seeing a doubling or tripling
of the number of staph infections that present, both to community
doctors and to the hospital.”

Staph is more likely to attack people who already have a viral
illness. In Drew’s case, he was coming down with the flu.
Drew’s mom Bonnie says, “And it just attacked his lungs,
and just totally shut them down.”

Eventually, doctors did find an antibiotic that killed the bacteria.
Drew’s back in school—taking steps to prevent this from
happening again.

Dr. Harrison says, “For athletes the best thing to do are
showers with anti-staph products.”

Drew says, “I take like two showers a day. You know I stay
clean. Wash my hands before I eat. “

Doctors advise athletes to wash uniforms often—and to avoid
sharing towels.

A staph infection is actually the staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
According to doctors in the Columbia University Medical Center, common
minor (or relatively minor) skin infections caused by staph include:

• Folliculitis – Infections of hair follicles that cause itchy
  white pus-filled bumps on the skin (often where people shave or have
  irritations from skin rubbing against clothes).
• Boils – Infections deeper within hair follicles that leave
  large, frequently red inflammations (often occur on the face or neck).
• Sties – Infection of the follicle surrounding the eyelashes,
  causing a sore red bump in the eyelid.
• Impetigo – The infection kids often get around their mouths
  and noses that causes blisters and red scabby skin.
• Abscesses – Infection characterized by pus and swelling
  that can occur in the skin and in any other organ.

Staph infections are very common,
so much so that many people don’t know they have one. They can
infect any part of the body and usually enter through an open cut.
The best way to treat staph infections is by administering antibiotics,
which are used to fight many bacterial infections. However, the American
Medical Association suggests using caution with any type of medicine
and has provided a list of things to know before using antibiotics.

• Antibiotics do not work against all infections. Antibiotics
  work only against infections that are caused by bacteria. These
  drugs are not effective at all against most viral infections. This
  is why your doctor will not always prescribe an antibiotic if you
  have an infection. Some antibiotics are effective against only
  certain types of bacteria. Others can effectively fight a wide
  range of bacteria. Bacterial infections include strep throat, most
  ear infections and some sinus, bladder and lung infections.
• Most common infections – such as colds, bronchitis and
  sore throats – are caused by viruses. Antibiotics should
  not be used for these viral infections because they don’t help.
  In fact, they may cause side effects, and overuse of antibiotics
  contributes to the growing problem of bacterial resistance. Some
  viral infections such as herpes infection, some cases of influenza
  and HIV/AIDS can be treated with antiviral drugs. Based on your
  illness and symptoms, your doctor can determine if prescribing
  an antibiotic is appropriate. Your doctor will then select the
  antibiotic that will work best for your infection.
• Antibiotics may cause side effects. If your doctor prescribes
  an antibiotic, be sure to ask him or her what possible side effects
  are possible. Antibiotics can cause nausea, diarrhea and stomach
  pain. In some people, an allergic reaction can occur. Some antibiotics
  kill naturally occurring bacteria that are needed by the body.
  These “good” bacteria are then replaced by bacteria that
  can cause diarrhea or yeast infections. If you experience any side
  effects when you are taking an antibiotic, you should call your
  doctor.
• Bacteria can become resistant to an antibiotic that was previously
  effective. Resistance is most likely to develop after long-term
  treatment with an antibiotic or with antibiotics that kill a wide
  variety of bacteria. Resistance is a growing problem, and there
  is concern that some types of infections will eventually not be
  treatable with antibiotics. This resistance is ascribed to overuse
  of antibiotics, especially for common viral infections.
• It is very important that antibiotics be taken as prescribed.
  Antibiotics should only be used when prescribed by your doctor.
  Consult with your doctor before taking any other medications (including
  over-the-counter medications). You should never take antibiotics
  given to you by someone else or prescribed for a previous illness.
• The dosage is a very important factor in antibiotic effectiveness.
  If the dosage of the antibiotic is not adequate, it will not be
  effective for treatment of the infection and bacteria are more
  likely to develop resistance. This is because the bacteria can
  continue to grow and develop ways to disrupt the antibiotic’s effects.
• Antibiotics must be taken for the full amount of time prescribed
  by your doctor. Many times, patients will stop the use of an antibiotic
  when they begin to feel better and it seems that the illness has
  gone. However, even after the symptoms are gone, the bacteria may
  still be present in small amounts and an infection can return if
  use of the antibiotic is stopped. Not completing the prescribed
  dose may also promote resistance.
• Antibiotics should not be saved and reused. You should always
  take the full course of antibiotic treatment, so none of the drug
  should be “left over.” However, if this has occurred,
  the antibiotics should not be taken to treat any other illness.
  Different types of infections require different types of antibiotics,
  so taking leftover medications is often not effective.
• Always consult
  your doctor if you have an infection. Only your doctor can determine
  if you have an infection and the type of antibiotic that will
  be most effective and that is safe for you to take.

“Don’t
you look better, are you feeling better?” asks Dr. Lonnie
King as he walks in sixteen-year-old Erin Rouis hospital room.
After being admitted to the hospital, Erin’s condition is
improving.

Two days ago, however, Erin was in pain. “Yeah, it’s
sore,” she complains during the examination. What began as
a small bump or pimple on her face, got infected, and spread. “And
it just got progressively bigger?” asks Dr. King. Erin now
has a large boil on her chin and another one on her temple.

The treatment so far has been antibiotics. “So Bactrim
on Saturday, three days ago,” says Dr. King, “and then
the Keflex started last night.” But those are not working.

“And what we’re finding is that many of these infections
that are acquired in the community have become very virulent and
resistant to most of the antibiotics we’re used to using,” explains
the doctor.

“And they cultured it and it definitely was MRSA?” Dr.
King asks. “It was positive, positive MRSA,” states
Erin’s mom.

MRSA, or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus; a super-bug
that is difficult to kill. “Bacteria mutate, they change
and become resistant to the usual antibiotics, and this is especially
a problem with staph right now,” explains Dr. King.

The first step in treatment is to drain the infection in the
boil. “The only way that you can cure that is to drain it
and to let that pus drain and get out of the body,” states
the doctor.

Next is to try a new antibiotic, and hope that it works. “We’re
gonna get some blood counts and stuff, but we ought to admit you,
okay,” the doctor explains to Erin. “We’ll go
ahead and start you on antibiotic, we’re gonna use Clendomyacin.
I think that’s the thing. And then we’ll continue the
Bactrim by mouth, okay.”

And so after two days in the hospital, the doctor tells Erin she
can go home.

“One of the world’s most pressing public health problems” – that’s
how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies the growing
resistance of bacteria to treatment by antibiotics. The CDC says “smart
use” of antibiotics, rather than widespread overuse, is the key to
controlling the spread of resistance. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial
infections responsible for many childhood illnesses. They were discovered
in the 1940s, increasing dramatically our ability to fight diseases and infections.
But according to Health Canada, inappropriate use of antibiotics in recent
years has allowed many forms of bacteria to become resistant to these drugs.
Germs are able to adapt and change according to their environment, so when
antibiotics are taken inappropriately, the weaker germs are killed, while
the stronger, more resistant ones survive and multiply, making it difficult
for antibiotics to fight them the next time an infection occurs.

Consider the following statistics provided by the American Academy
of Pediatrics (AAP) concerning the increase in antibiotic use:

• According to a 1980 study from the Boston University School
  of Medicine, 4.2 million prescriptions were written for the oral
  antibiotic amoxicillin to treat ear infections. In just over 10
  years, that number grew to more than 12.3 million prescriptions
  (an increase of 194 percent).
• Prescriptions of another common oral antibiotic, cephalosporins,
  increased 687 percent during the same time.
• It is estimated that 30 million prescriptions were written for
  ear infections alone in 1998.

Antibiotic resistance poses the risk of significant suffering and
danger for children – and adults – who have common infections
that were easily treatable with antibiotics at one time. Most children
hate taking medicine. It tastes gross and smells funny. Many kids
spit much of it out and do not receive the appropriate dosages. What
parents may not realize is how dangerous this can be and how it contributes
to the epidemic of drug and antibiotic resistance.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) offers the following
information regarding drug resistance:

• Tuberculosis, malaria and childhood ear infections are a few
  of the diseases that have become resistant to antibiotics.
• About 70 percent of bacteria that causes infections in hospitals
  are resistant to at least one of the drugs most commonly used to
  treat infections.
• Some organisms are resistant to all approved antibiotics and
  must be treated with experimental and potentially toxic drugs.
• Research has shown antibiotics are given to patients more often
  than guidelines set by federal and other healthcare organizations.
  Patients sometimes ask their doctors for antibiotics for a cold,
  cough or the flu, all of which are viral and do not respond to
  antibiotics. Also, patients who are prescribed antibiotics but
  do not take the full dosing regimen can contribute to resistance.

More than half of pediatricians surveyed said “parental
pressure” contributed to oral antibiotics overuse. Dr. Richard Besser,
medical director for the CDC’s National Campaign for Appropriate
Antibiotic Use, says up to 40 percent of antibiotics prescribed in doctors’ offices
are for viral infections, which are not treatable with antibiotics. How
can parents help prevent antibiotic-resistant infections? According to
Dr. Besser, …

• Talk with your child’s pediatrician about antibiotic resistance.
  Ask whether or not an antibiotic is likely to be beneficial for
  the illness. Also, ask what else can be done to make your child
  feel better sooner.
• Don’t give your child antibiotics for viral infections
  like the cold or flu.
• Don’t save some of the antibiotic for use the next time
  your child gets sick.
• Make sure your child takes the antibiotic exactly as prescribed.
• Don’t give your child an antibiotic that is prescribed
  for someone else.

By not taking all of their medication, either because they spit
it out or simply refuse to take it, children could jeopardize the
future effect if the same antibiotic is prescribed again. Before
convincing your child to take their medicine, it is important to
understand exactly what the medicine is treating. The FDA suggests
asking the following questions before leaving the doctor’s
office:

• What is the drug and what is it for?
• Will this drug cause a problem with other drugs my child is
  taking?
• How often does my child need to take this medicine?
• How many days or weeks does my child need to take this medicine?
• What if I miss giving my child a dose?
• How soon will the drug start working?
• What side effects does it have?
• What should I do if my child gets any of these side effects?
• Should I stop giving the medicine when my child gets better?

After you determine what the prescription is and how the medication
should be administered, you then need to figure out how to get your
child to take it. Experts from the Public Broadcasting Station’s Children’s
Hospital recommend the following strategies:

• Be sensitive, but be the boss – It is important to acknowledge
  your child’s feelings and let him/her know you know he/she does
  not feel well. But, at the same time, the treatment is non-negotiable.
• Offer choices whenever you can – Allow your child to make
  some decisions, such as what he/she would like to drink with his/her
  medicine or when he/she would rather take his/her medicine (i.e.,
  before or after school). By providing some choices, your child
  will feel like he/she has some control over the situation.
• Make the medication taste better or easier to swallow – Keeping
  liquid medication cold may help it go down easier. Also, ask your
  pharmacist if you can add flavoring with juice or food. Honey may
  do the trick, but pediatricians advise against feeding honey to
  children under one.
• Give medications at the same time and in the same place – It
  helps to create a designated spot in your house for giving medicine,
  preferably not your child’s room. This puts the treatment of the
  illness in perspective, so it doesn’t take over your house – and
  your child’s life.
• Choose clear, age-appropriate words when you speak – Since
  many children interpret things literally, the specific words you
  use to describe your child’s treatment are very important. Some
  words may scare children and make them more resistant to treatment.
  Older children will want and need a full explanation to ensure
  their participation or to start treating themselves.
• Praise the child for accepting the treatment rather than blaming
  him/her for the illness – Many children will feel responsible
  for getting sick or injured. It helps to remind them they did not
  cause this, and then praise them for following the treatment plan.
• Explain how the medicine will help your child get well – Adults
  sometimes assume that a child knows what medicine and treatments
  can accomplish. But young children generally do not understand
  this connection. To excite a child about getting well, you might
  compare how he/she used to feel to how he/she feels now – and
  remind him/her of the activities he/she could not do yesterday
  that he/she can do today.
• Listen to how a child feels and assess his/her illness accordingly – If
  a child says he/she is not feeling well, the first thing you should
  do is acknowledge it and take it seriously. Ask your child how
  he/she feels and how badly it hurts. This will allow you to determine
  the seriousness of the condition.
• Avoid physical struggles to force a child to cooperate – While
  being firm, it is also essential you do not physically struggle
  with your child while trying to get him/her to take the pills.
• Let another adult take over – For kids who are truly resistant,
  parents should divide up the responsibility of who gives the medicine
  or supervises the treatment. This gives one parent a necessary
  break, and helps the child realize that both parents are capable
  of handling this. For example, if one parent never does this, the
  child might think he/she does not know how to do it.

If just swallowing a pill is the problem, consider these tips provided
by Fairview Health Information:

• Put the pill in your child’s mouth and have him/her fill
  up his/her cheeks with water, swallowing as few times as possible.
  The pill should go right down.
• Put the pill under your child’s tongue and have him/her
  drink water in gulps from a cup. The pill will often slip out and
  go down undetected.
• A thicker liquid like milk may make pills easier to swallow,
  but ask your pharmacist first.