Antibiotics
Antibiotics are medications that kill bacteria. Bacteria are organisms that cause infections.
A health professional will choose an antibiotic to treat an illness based on:
- Whether taking an antibiotic will reduce the length or severity of the illness.
- The person's age. (For example, some antibiotics are not safe for children.)
- The symptoms.
- Other medical problems that the person may have.
- The severity of the illness.
- How likely it is that a certain antibiotic will kill the bacteria believed to be causing the symptoms.
- Whether the person is allergic to any antibiotics.
- Whether a woman is pregnant.
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated:
May 25, 2007
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