Tag: Antibiotic prophylaxis

Chronic infectious diseases that were once lethal are now manageable due to the advent of antibiotics. The use of long-term antibiotic therapy is a targeted strategy in specific clinical situations, requiring careful consideration of the benefits versus the substantial risks associated with prolonged antimicrobial exposure.

In some specific medical cases, patients are prescribed antibiotics for courses lasting longer than 12 months, sometimes indefinitely. This practice, often called long-term suppressive or prophylactic therapy, raises the important question: what is a lifelong antibiotic use and what are its consequences?

In the United States, there are nearly one antibiotic prescription per person annually [1.4.1]. While most are short-term, some conditions necessitate continuous use. So, **why would someone be on antibiotics for life?** It's often to prevent or suppress persistent, hard-to-treat infections [1.2.3, 1.2.7].