Aug 24, 2015
Bacteria and Antibiotics
MIC stands for Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, and is the lowest amount of antibiotic required to stop the bacteria.
Antibiotics either kill the bacteria or slow it down enough that your own immune system can get rid of it.
Antibiotics are designed to keep a certain amount of medicine in your body over a certain number of days to ensure the infection is completely gone.
Do not take antibiotics that you have left over because you most likely do not have enough medicine for a full course of treatment.
Here's a Metaphor
Think about a spot of dirt on the floor:
Dirt + a few drops of water = mud
Dirt + a whole pitcher of water = a watery mess
Dirt + a wet rag = clean floor
Relate it to Bacteria
Infection + too little antibiotic = resistance
Infection + too much antibiotic = side effects
Infection + the right dose of antibiotic = you get better
The Take Away
The gap between the lowest effective dose and the highest, non-toxic dose is called the Therapeutic Index. This is the information that is used to determine the dose of many medications and how they should be taken.
That is why you should always take antibiotics exactly as directed and until they are all gone.
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