Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Superbug Super-problem
By Zhang Qian | 2011-5-4 |
RAMPANT use of antibiotics in China by individuals, doctors, hospitals, agriculture and fisheries poses a serious health problem contributing to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Zhang Qian reports.
After her 6-year-old son kept coughing for three days and the medication recommended by the doctor seemed not to help, Susan Lin decided to take matters into her own hands and medicate the boy.
She bought a popular antibiotic (generic cephalosporin/brand Cefradine) from a pharmacy and administered it along with the patent cough medicine.
"The standard cold medicine is just too mild to work", says the 33-year-old mother. "I cannot watch him coughing day and night like that. This antidote works much faster. I have tried it several times myself and I'm sure it works."
The boy got better. The broad spectrum antibiotic is used to treat respiratory, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, skin and soft tissue, and bone and joint infections.
Lin is just one of millions of Chinese who abuse antibiotics that are available in pharmacies with a prescription, in some cases, available by just jotting down the client's name and phone number for record.
She and millions of other people have blind faith in fast-acting antibiotics.
Read more - Shanghai Daily
.
By Zhang Qian | 2011-5-4 |
RAMPANT use of antibiotics in China by individuals, doctors, hospitals, agriculture and fisheries poses a serious health problem contributing to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Zhang Qian reports.
After her 6-year-old son kept coughing for three days and the medication recommended by the doctor seemed not to help, Susan Lin decided to take matters into her own hands and medicate the boy.
She bought a popular antibiotic (generic cephalosporin/brand Cefradine) from a pharmacy and administered it along with the patent cough medicine.
"The standard cold medicine is just too mild to work", says the 33-year-old mother. "I cannot watch him coughing day and night like that. This antidote works much faster. I have tried it several times myself and I'm sure it works."
The boy got better. The broad spectrum antibiotic is used to treat respiratory, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, skin and soft tissue, and bone and joint infections.
Lin is just one of millions of Chinese who abuse antibiotics that are available in pharmacies with a prescription, in some cases, available by just jotting down the client's name and phone number for record.
She and millions of other people have blind faith in fast-acting antibiotics.
Read more - Shanghai Daily
.