Question

A man comes to the clinic with an oozing wound he got while preparing dinner. The doctors at the clinic suspect infection with E. coli and treat him with an antibiotic. The man goes home and his symptoms improve, so he discontinues the antibiotic. Within a few days he becomes gravely ill with shocklike symptoms such as fever, hypotension, high heart rate and fatigue/mental confusion. Why did the man become so sick after taking the antibiotic that was supposed to make him better?

Answer 1

Answer:

He became sick because of antibiotic resistance

Explanation:

During the treatment of an infection the doctor prescribes an antibiotic within a certain period of time to use.

If the person begins to feel better does not necessarily mean that the infection has been fully treated, so for lack of knowledge they stop the treatment and by decreasing the exposure of bacteria to the antibiotic allows them to build resistance to it. This can result in a stronger bacteria and worse infection symptoms than before.