WHAT ARE ANTIBIOTICS?

Antibiotics—also known as antibacterial or antimicrobial drugs—fight bacterial infections by killing bacteria, or by slowing or stopping bacterial growth. While antibiotics were first used in the 1940s, they continue to transform medical care today by dramatically reducing illness and death from infectious diseases.
How antibiotics work

Different antibiotics work in different ways to kill bacteria. LEVAQUIN® is a type of antibiotic called a fluoroquinolone. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are "bactericidal," which means they kill the bacteria causing the infection. Some other types of antibiotics stop bacteria from growing. Fluoroquinolones are concentration-dependent drugs, meaning they kill bacteria more efficiently when a higher amount of medicine reaches the area of infection. Your healthcare professional will prescribe the best antibiotic strength and duration for your infection.

You can visit Centers For Disease Control and Prevention for more information.
Antibiotic resistance

While antibiotics are an effective way to treat bacterial infections, improper use can lead to antibiotic resistance. Resistance happens because bacteria can change, or "mutate," in ways that makes it harder for antibiotics to work against them.

Learn more about antibiotic resistance
What you can do

One of the ways you can help guard against antibiotic resistance is to remember the 3 Ds of appropriate antibiotic use:

    * Drug. Use only the antibiotic that your healthcare professional prescribed for your condition. Do not use an antibiotic prescribed for another person or for another illness, and never share your antibiotics with someone else
    * Dose. Take the correct amount of your drug at the correct times, as prescribed by your healthcare professional
    * Duration. Even if you start to feel better, continue taking your antibiotic exactly as prescribed to help ensure that no bacteria can survive