56 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
Information on the uses, dosage, risks, and precautions for the antibiotics
recommended in this book can be found in the GREEN PAGES. Look for the name of
medicine in the alphabetical list at the beginning of those pages.
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF ALL ANTIBIOTICS
1. If you do not know exactly how to use the antibiotic and what infections it can be
used for, do not use it.
2. Use only an antibiotic that is recommended for the infection you wish to treat.
(Look for the illness in this book.)
3. Know the risks in using the antibiotic and take all the recommended precautions
(see the GREEN PAGES).
4. Use the antibiotic only in the recommended does—no more, no less. The dose
depends on the illness and the age or weight of the sick person.
5. Never use injections of antibiotics if taking them by mouth is likely to work as
well. Inject only when absolutely necessary.
6. Keep using the antibiotics until the illness is completely cured, or for at least
2 days after the fever and other signs of infection have gone. (Some illnesses, like
tuberculosis and leprosy, need to be treated for many months or years after the person
feels better. Follow the instructions for each illness.)
7. If the antibiotic causes a skin rash, itching, difficult breathing, or any serious
reactions, the person must stop using it and never use it again (see p. 70).
8. Only use antibiotics when the need is great. When antibiotics are used too
much they begin not to work as well.
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF CERTAIN ANTIBIOTICS
1. Before you inject penicillin or ampicillin, always have ready ampules of Adrenalin
(epinephrine) to control an allergic reaction if one occurs (p. 70).
2. For persons who are allergic to penicillin, use another antibiotic such as
erythromycin or a sulfa (see p. 354 and 356).
3. Do not use tetracycline, ampicillin, or another broad-spectrum antibiotic for an
illness that can probably be controlled with penicillin or another narrow-spectrum
antibiotic (see p. 58). Broad-spectrum antibiotics attack many more kinds of bacteria
than narrow-spectrum antibiotics.
4. As a rule, use chloramphenicol only for certain severe or life-threatening illnesses
like typhoid. It is a dangerous drug. Never use it for mild illness. And never give it to
newborn children (except perhaps for whooping cough, p. 313).
5. Never inject tetracycline or chloramphenicol. They are safer, less painful, and do
as much or more good when taken by mouth.
6. Do not give tetracycline to pregnant women or to children under 8 years old. It
can damage new teeth and bones (see p. 355).