Recently, a report about an antibiotic-resistant supergerm made headlines and brought even greater attention to the ever-growing challenge of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic Resistance – A Growing Concern
Each year in the United States alone, approximately two million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these types of infections1. Plus, many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection. In addition, antibiotic-resistant infections have been estimated to cost the US healthcare system more than $20 billion annually.2
Science indicates the root cause of antibiotic resistance is over-prescription and overuse of antibiotics by humans and in animals. Increasingly, antibiotic overuse results in the inability to prevent and control infections as certain bacteria develop defenses against entire classes of antibiotic compounds.
Using an Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer Reduces the Risk of Antibiotic Resistance
A primary prevention approach to reduce the need for antibiotics is effective hand hygiene. As we know, hand hygiene is one of the best measures you can take to prevent the spread of germs that can cause illness. Staying healthy and preventing infections from happening is a very effective way to reduce the use of antibiotics. This is why practicing good hand hygiene – handwashing and hand sanitizing – is so important to overcoming the challenge of antibiotic resistance.
Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, like PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer, DOES NOT cause antibiotic resistance. The truth is that oral antibiotics operate completely different than topical alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The alcohol quickly kills a broad spectrum of germs, and it is not left behind on your skin to let the germs become resistant.
Learn more about antibiotic resistance and ways to prevent it at
http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/