The discovery of antibiotics heralded medicine's triumph over previously fatal diseases that once destroyed entire civilizations--thus earning their reputation as miracle drugs. But today, the terrifying reality of antibiotic-resistant bacteria resulting from our widespread misuse of antibiotics forewarns us that the miracle may be coming to an end. The seemingly innocent consumer who demands antibiotics to treat nonbacterial diseases such as the common cold or plays doctor by saving old prescriptions for later use is paving the way for a future of antibiotic failure. "What harm can it do?"...
The discovery of antibiotics heralded medicine's triumph over previously fatal diseases that once destroyed entire civilizations--thus earning their r...