Antibiotics

Why resistant infections matter in everyday practice Antibiotic resistance is often discussed as a global crisis, but its impact is most visible in everyday medicine. Conditions as ordinary as urinary tract infections, skin abscesses, or sinus infections are no longer guaranteed to respond to first-line treatments. Patients may expect quick relief, but when the bacteria […]

Prescription-only status of antibiotics in the US In the United States, all systemic antibiotics (oral tablets, capsules, injections, and most topical formulations) are classified as prescription-only medications. This legal status derives from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) of 1938, reinforced by the Durham–Humphrey Amendment of 1951, which established the formal distinction between

Introduction Few medical discoveries have transformed human health as profoundly as antibiotics. Their arrival in the mid-20th century shifted the balance between humans and infectious disease. What had once been lethal illnesses, like pneumonia, meningitis, septic wounds, became treatable with a short course of pills or injections. The story of antibiotics is often told as

Why antibiotic safety matters in pregnancy and breastfeeding Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Infections such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, or mastitis cannot be ignored: left untreated, they may threaten both the mother and the child. At the same time, every drug taken during pregnancy or

The gut microbiome and why antibiotics affect it The human intestine is home to a densely populated ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, archaea, and even viruses, collectively known as the gut microbiome. In a healthy adult, trillions of these organisms coexist in dynamic balance, performing essential functions that the body cannot carry out on