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GuideWisdom™

This WisdomCard managed by: Chris Miller

An antibiotic is a chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits or abolishes the growth of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoa. The first widely used antibiotic compounds used in modern medicine were produced and isolated from living organisms, such as the penicillin class produced by fungi in the genus Penicillium, or streptomycin from bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. ...read more from Wikipedia

Fast Facts:

• -- In 1926, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, a substance produced by fungi that appeared able to inhibit bacterial growth.
• -- Antibiotics do not work against any viruses.
• -- Frequent and inappropriate use of antibiotics selects for strains of bacteria that can resist treatment. This is called bacterial resistance.

5 Great Resources on Antibiotics

• eMedicineHealth: Antibiotics
• Merck: Antibiotics
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work
• WrongDiagnosis: Antibiotics
• eMedTV: About Antibiotics

5 Latest Headlines on Antibiotics

• URL HERE More Antibiotics News from Google

What Are Antibiotics?

• Medical News Today: Antibiotics. How Do Antibiotics Work? What Are They For?
• Minnesota Antibiotic Resistance Collaborative: What Are Antibiotics and What Do They Do?
• WiseGeek: What are Antibiotics?
• American Thoracic Society: What are Antibiotics?

What Are The Uses for Antibiotics?

• American Academy of Family Physicians: Antibiotics: When They Can and Can't Help
• Dr.Greene: Antibiotics and Ear Infections
• ThinkQuest: Uses of Antibiotics
• Medical College of Wisconsin: Antibiotics: Use Only When Necessary

What Are The Side Effects, Interactions and Precautions for Antibiotics?

• Wikipedia: Antibiotic Side Effects
• eMedicineHealth: Antibiotic Side Effects
• Merck: Antibiotic Side Effects and Allergies

What are the Holistic Alternatives to Antibiotics?

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (via EurekAlert): Compounds in Cranberry Juice Show Promise as Alternatives to Antibiotics
• HomeRemediesThatWork: Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics
• ReikiNurse: Natural Antibiotics

Wisdom, Blogs and Message Boards about Antibiotics

• TheForumSite: People Overdosing Antibiotics
• US News and World Report: Antibiotics Don't Help Much in Most Sinus Infections (April 16, 2008)
• ThisisMS: Antibiotics Forum
• Pharmaceutical World Forums: Antibiotic Forums

Clinical Trials for Antibiotics

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Antibiotic Clinical Trials
• CenterWatch: Antibiotic Clinical Trials

Abuse of Antibiotics

• Boston.com: Antibiotic abuse (Aug. 8, 2005)
• Children's Hospital Wisconsin: Guard Against Antibiotic Abuse
• CommonGround: Stop Antibiotics Misuse
• ABCNewsOnline: Vital Drugs Useless if Antibiotic Abuse Continues, Expert Warns (Aug. 2, 1999)

Scientific and Medical Journal Articles on Antibiotics

• PubMedCentral: Antibiotic Articles
• JAMA: Antibiotic Articles
• Google Scholar: Antibiotic Articles

Related WisdomCards

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• Tetracycline
• Ear Infection
• Strep Throat
• Green Tea and Antibiotics

User Recommended Links for Antibiotics

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