Over-prescription of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance and affects the ability of bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment.  That’s very important because if antibiotics do not work for infections, there isn’t much else that will.  Now that’s scary!

A recent study of patients hospitalized for respiratory infections found that in those who were diagnosed with a viral infection (antibiotics will not help a viral infection) and who also had a normal chest x-ray (which detects pneumonia, which is often a bacterial infection), 63 percent were still prescribed antibiotics!  Is it perhaps just habit to prescribe them? 

Surprise, surprise:  Those patients were found to not benefit from the antibiotic treatment and, in fact, some went on to develop the antibiotic-associated Clostridium difficile infection.

This over-prescription of antibiotics is widespread, and is putting people at risk of developing dangerous infections, like C. diff, MRSA, E. coli and Klebsiella infections. In fact, two bacteria strains that carry a specific gene (NDM-1) have recently been in the news. Why?  Because bacteria that carry this gene are resistant to almost all antibiotics, including the last-resort antibiotics currently being used when the more common ones fail.

Next time your doctor wants to prescribe an antibiotic, make sure that it’s being used for a bacterial infection, and not a viral infection.

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antibiotic resistance, antibiotics, bacteria, bacterial infection, C. diff, Clostridium difficile, dangerous, E. coli, gene, infections, Klebsiella, MRSA, NDM-1, over-prescription, respiratory infection, strains, treatment

As if you need another reason to not drink soda, now scientists tell us there’s poop bacteria in those fizzy beverages Americans love so much! I thought this story was just plain gross, but it’s definitely one that a lot of readers need to hear (you know who you are, soda drinkers!)

A recent study found fecal bacteria in 48 percent of fountain beverages tested.  Think about those machines, with their plastic tubing lines that run from a box of concentrated soda to the actual fountain—how often do you think they even clean those lines? Apparently not often enough!

Among the types of bacteria they found were E. coli, C. meningosepticum, klebsiella, staphylococcus, stenotrophomonas, candida and serratia, and according to researchers, “These findings suggest that soda fountain machines may harbor persistent communities of potentially pathogenic microorganisms which may contribute to episodic gastric distress in the general population and could pose a more significant health risk to immune-compromised individuals.” Translation? There’s really bad stuff in your soda pop!

Do you want fries with that? I don’t think so!

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bacteria, Candida, E. coli, fecal bacteria, fountain beverage, gastric distress, health risk, immune-compromised, Klebsiella, pathogenic microorganism, poo, poop, pop, serratia, soda, Soft drink, staphylococcus

Colic in babies is one of those conditions that the medical community cannot seem to figure out. Colic occurs in up to 28% of infants. Babies with colic cry for hours, unconsolable, sometimes every day. The cause of colic is unknown and the treatment of colic is uncertain. So many infants suffer from colic and parents are at a loss for how to deal with it. A colicky baby can be quite a handful for new parents who may not feel equipped or emotionally able to handle the situation, especially when doctors don’t provide many answers.

A new study from the University of Texas Health Science Center has found that babies with colic are more likely to have higher amounts of gut inflammation and a bacteria called Klebsiella in their intestines. They also found that the babies who did not have colic had a greater diversity of bacteria in their guts. The lead researcher also suggested that colic may prove to be a precursor to other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease and other gut allergies.

This study is exciting because the next step, researchers say, is to investigate the use of a probiotic to control gut inflammation in these babies. Now they are on to something.

The establishment of healthy gut bacteria, in a vaginally born baby, begins at birth. It then continues during breastfeeding and through contact with the outside world. Many factors can inhibit this process leaving the infant with less-than-optimal gut flora. In many ways these beneficial bacteria act as a partial immune system for the infant. The importance of establishing a healthy and diverse bacterial population in those little guts is vitally important, as this study has pointed out. Renew Life’s Flora Baby was developed specifically for babies and toddlers. It contains five strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and comes in a powder that can be mixed with liquid.

Learn the ABC’s of Probiotics.

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Bifidobacteria, celiac disease, colic, Flora Baby, gut allergies, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Klebsiella, Lactobacillus, Probiotics, University of Texas Health Science Center