Testing Item for Nurses (Do you Need)

Why does taking antibiotics
lead to antibiotic resistance?

What if I have questions about
antibiotics?

Any time antibiotics are used, they can cause
side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent
threats to the public’s health.

Talk to your doctor and nursing staff
if you have any questions about your
antibiotics, such as:

Always remember:
1. Antibiotic resistance does not mean the
body is becoming resistant to antibiotics; it
means bacteria have become resistant to the
antibiotics designed to kill them.
2. When bacteria become resistant, antibiotics
cannot fight them, and the bacteria multiply.
3. Some resistant bacteria can be harder to
treat and can spread to other residents in the
nursing home.

• What infection does this antibiotic treat and
do you know I have that infection?
• How long do I need to take this antibiotic?
• What are the potential side effects from this
antibiotic?
• Could any of my other medications interact
with this antibiotic?
• How will you know the antibiotic is working
for my infection?

Let them know if you develop
any side effects, especially
diarrhea, which could be
C. difficile infection and needs
to be treated immediately.

Up to 70% of residents in
a nursing home receive
one or more courses of
antibiotics each year.

40%–75% of antibiotics
prescribed in nursing
homes may be unnecessary
or inappropriate.

To learn more about antibiotic prescribing and
use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use.

Do You Need
Antibiotics?
Information about antibiotics
for nursing home residents
and their families

Why is it important to
Be Antibiotics Aware
in nursing homes?
Antibiotics are lifesaving medicines, and are
frequently prescribed in nursing homes. When you
need antibiotics, the benefits outweigh the risks of
side effects or antibiotic resistance.
When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help
you, and the side effects could still hurt you.

What do antibiotics treat?
Antibiotics are only needed for treating some
infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics are also
critical tools for treating common infections, such
as pneumonia, and for life-threatening conditions
including sepsis, which is the body’s extreme
response to an infection.

What are the potential
side effects of antibiotics?
Common side effects from antibiotics can include:
• Rash
• Nausea
• Yeast infections
• Dizziness

• Diarrhea

More serious side effects can include:
• Clostridioides difficile (also called C. difficile or
C. diff) infection
• Life-threatening allergic reactions
• Interactions between antibiotics and
other medications
• Infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
including C. difficile

What is C. difficile infection?

What don’t antibiotics treat?

C. difficile is a bacteria that causes colitis, or
inflammation of the colon. C. difficile infection can
lead to severe colon damage, disabling diarrhea,
and sometimes death.

Antibiotics do not work on viruses, such as those
that cause colds, flu, bronchitis, or runny noses,
even if the mucus is thick, yellow, or green.
Antibiotics also aren’t needed for some common
bacterial infections, including many sinus infections
and some ear infections.

When you take antibiotics, good bacteria in the
body that protect against infection are destroyed.
During this time, you can get sick from C. difficile
bacteria that are picked up from contaminated
surfaces or spread from another resident’s or
healthcare professional’s hands.
Symptoms of C. difficile infection include:
• Watery diarrhea (at least • Fever
three bowel movements • Nausea
per day for two or
• Abdominal (stomach)
more days)
pain/tenderness
• Loss of appetite

More than 3 million
Americans receive care or
reside in nursing homes
every year.
How can I stay healthy?
You can stay healthy and keep others healthy by:
• Insisting nursing home staff and visitors clean
their hands before touching you or caring for
your wound or catheter.
• Covering your cough to prevent the spread
of germs.
• Asking family or friends not to visit when they
don’t feel well.
• Staying in your room when sick.
• Protecting yourself by getting vaccines for flu
and pneumonia and encouraging others around
you to do the same.
Talk to your doctor and nursing home staff
about steps you can take to stay healthy and
prevent infections.

Improving the way healthcare professionals
prescribe antibiotics, and the way we take
antibiotics, helps keep us healthy now, helps
fight antibiotic resistance, and ensures that
these lifesaving drugs will be available for
future generations.