Summary: This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the common rumour that “antibiotics treat all infected diseases”. The false nature of the rumour was revealed by the description of the mechanism of the antibiotic role, its scope of application and the harm of its misuse. At the same time, the causes of rumours have been explored and strategies put forward to counter them in order to raise public awareness about antibiotics and to promote their rational use.
1. The discovery and application of antibiotics in modern medicine is undoubtedly a major breakthrough. Over time, however, some misconceptions about antibiotics have also developed. Among them, the rumour that “antibiotics treat all infected diseases” is widespread among the public, posing potential risks to people’s health. This paper aims to correct public misconceptions and to guide the rational use of antibiotics by disputing this rumour.
II. Mechanisms for and scope of application of antibiotics
(i) Antibiotic mechanisms. Antibiotics are primarily designed to kill or inhibit bacteria by interfering with the biological metabolic process of bacteria, such as inhibiting cell wall synthesis, destroying cellular membranes, inhibiting protein synthesis or interfering with nucleic acid metabolism.
Antibiotics are mainly effective for bacterial infectious diseases such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections and skin soft tissue infections. Antibiotics are usually ineffective for infections caused by viruses, fungi, parasites, etc. For example, common influenza is mostly caused by viruses, and the use of antibiotics not only does not treat the flu, but may also lead to adverse consequences such as intestinal group disorders and increased bacterial resistance.
III. The danger of the misuse of antibiotics
(i) Increased bacterial resistance When bacteria produce resistance to one or more antibiotics, the difficulty of treating infectious diseases increases significantly. Some drug-resistant bacteria may even develop into “super bacteria” that are resistant to most existing antibiotics and pose a serious threat to human health.
(ii) Increased adverse effects. The use of antibiotics may cause a variety of adverse effects, such as allergies, gastrointestinal reaction, and damage to liver and kidney function. For example, penicillin antibiotics are susceptible to allergies, and severers can cause allergies; some antibiotics may also cause damage to the liver and kidneys, especially in cases where the liver or kidney function is incomplete.
(iii) Disruption of the micro-ecological balance of the human body. The human body is a complex ecosystem with a large number of beneficial microorganisms in the intestinal, respiratory and skin areas. The misuse of antibiotics can disrupt these micro-ecological balances, leading to a herbicidal disorder and, consequently, to diseases. For example, the long-term use of antibiotics may cause intestinal herbology disorders, leading to diseases of the digestive system such as diarrhoea and constipation.
IV. Reasons for the spread of rumours
(i) Lack of public medical knowledge. Many people lack understanding of the causes of and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and believe that antibiotics should be used as long as they are ill. At the same time, some people are mistaken about the mechanism and scope of application of antibiotics as a panacea.
(ii) Medical advertising and the media mislead some medical advertisements to promote drugs, exaggerate the efficacy of antibiotics and mislead consumers. In addition, some media reporting on infectious diseases may not have accurately conveyed the principles of the use of antibiotics, further deepening public misperceptions.
(iii) In some cases, doctors may unreasonably prescribe antibiotics for various reasons, such as patient ‘ s requirements, time pressure, etc. This behaviour has also contributed, to some extent, to the misperceptions of the public that “antibiotics treat all infected diseases”.
Response
(i) Strengthening public health education through awareness-raising campaigns, dissemination of information materials and health talks to inform the public about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and the correct use of antibiotics. Improve public medical literacy and make it clear that antibiotics are not a panacea and avoid their abuse.
(ii) To regulate medical advertising and media reporting; At the same time, when reporting on infectious diseases, the media should accurately convey the principles of the use of antibiotics and lead the public to the correct understanding of antibiotics.
(iii) To regulate the prescribed behaviour of doctors; to enhance the training and management of doctors and to improve their professionalism and professional ethics. Doctors are required to prescribe prescriptions in strict compliance with the principle of the use of antibiotics to avoid unreasonable use of medicines. At the same time, a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the use of antibiotics is in place to detect and correct, in a timely manner, unjustified drug use.
The conclusion that “antibiotics treat all infected diseases” is a false rumour. Although antibiotics play an important role in the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases, they are not a panacea. The abuse of antibiotics can lead to serious hazards such as increased bacterial resistance, increased adverse reactions and disruption of the micro-ecological balance of the human body. In order to ensure public health, we need to strengthen public health education, regulate medical advertisements and media coverage, regulate medical prescriptions, raise public awareness about antibiotics and promote rational use of medicines. Only in that way can we better perform the role of antibiotics while reducing their negative consequences.
