Overuse of an antibiotic – medicine designed to kill bacterial infections – leads bacteria to build resistance to these drugs, thus becoming what is commonly called a “superbug.” Patients who are admitted to a U.S. hospital have a one in seven chance of acquiring a superbug while in the hospital.
This overuse does not have to happen. According to the CDC, almost 50 percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions for patients with acute respiratory conditions are unneccesary.
