Which statement best evaluates the author's response to the counterclaim that because antibiotics have proven effective in many
situations, prescribing an antibiotic is a sound first step for doctors?
It is ineffective because the author relies heavily on a personal anecdote as opposed to facts and statistics that refute the opposing claim.
It is effective because the author cites and explains a statistic to illustrate that even though antibiotics work in some situations, they are still often not prescribed correctly.
It is ineffective because the author includes a statistic, but the statistic does not directly support the assertion that prescribing an antibiotic is often the best course of action.
It is effective because the author uses an emotional personal anecdote, which gives her credibility and supports the idea that antibiotics are not always effective.
One night last December, my one-year-old son, Eli, awoke around midnight, crying uncontrollably. I wound up holding him for the entire night, as each attempt to lay him in his crib resulted in his siren scream. The next day the doctor diagnosed the cause of Eli's agony—an ear infection in each of his ears. We left the doctor's office with a prescription for amoxicillin, a common first-line antibiotic designed to destroy offending bacteria.
For ten days, I struggled to give Eli the medicine, finally resorting to mixing it with applesauce and an absurd amount of cinnamon. For ten days, Eli clung to me, showing little improvement, sleeping only a few hours before waking in hysterics. Back at the doctor, Eli still had fluid-filled ears. We left with another prescription, this time for a stronger antibiotic.
Flash forward seven weeks. Eli still had a double ear infection. He had now taken four courses of antibiotics, one of which caused his little body to break out in golf-ball sized hives. Still, the next treatment the doctor advised was yet another antibiotic, this time injected directly into his body. Antibiotics clearly weren't working, but as a mother, I was desperate to ease my child's pain.
It is true that antibiotics have proven effective in many situations, such as for treating strep throat that has been diagnosed by a culture. Therefore, prescribing an antibiotic is a sound first step for doctors. But Eli's story illustrates what should be startling but is unfortunately common—antibiotics are often prescribed to distressed patients even if the antibiotics are clearly not working. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, in 30 to 50 percent of cases, the antibiotic prescribed is either the incorrect antibiotic or is prescribed for the wrong amount of time. The time patients spend taking that antibiotic is time that they could spend being treated more effectively.
Not only do antibiotics often not work, resulting in unnecessary costs and side effects, they can lead to the formation of superbugs. A superbug is a microbe, or organism not visible to the naked eye, that is resistant to the effects of a drug. In many cases, superbugs are antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Here's what happens. Scientists develop antibiotics that target specific types of bacteria (or in some cases, many types). Over time, the targeted bacteria changes, or develops a way to survive despite the antibiotic. The next time someone with this new, resistant bacteria takes the "correct" antibiotic, the resistant bacteria becomes stronger because, unfortunately, the antibiotic likely killed all the good, helpful bacteria, leaving the superbug to thrive. Every time someone uses an antibiotic is a chance for a resistant strain of bacteria to form or strengthen. In the United States, over 2 million people have fallen ill with superbugs. More than 23,000 have died. These numbers can only grow if we don't reevaluate how we use antibiotics.
Many patients, however, want to take some sort of action when they or their children are suffering. Unless there is a medical emergency or a clear indication that antibiotics are the best course of action, patients must consider the snowball effect of using antibiotics. Is aiding a superbug worth a small chance of relief? Or is exploring an alternative solution, or exercising patience and palliative care, the more responsible choice?
