BBC Hand Washing Can Prevent Infection Help Avoid Antibiotic Overuse Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 02 July 2018 13:34 PM America/Los_Angeles BBC Hand Washing Can Prevent Infection Help Avoid Antibiotic Overuse Photo of four spherical MRSA bacteria being enveloped and destroyed by human white blood cells courtesy of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Jonathan Grein, MD, medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Department of Hospital Epidemiology, was interviewed recently for a special BBC World Service program about the overuse of antibiotic medications and how overpresciribing those drugs can negatively affect health around the world. The BBC special report by Aleks Krotoski and Ben Hammersley examines how medical science can prepare us for a future in which antibiotic overuse may render these medications ineffective allowing small infections to have big consequences. In some ways, the future is here already. Because bacteria are always mutating, the development of antibiotic resistance is normal, the program explains. More than 700,000 people die each year around the world from drug-resistant infections. Because hospitals are on the front lines of tackling antibiotic resistance, Hammersley visited Grein at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to learn how to avoid getting an infection that doesn't respond to antibiotics. Grein's advice: Wash your hands thoroughly and often. "You want to make sure you get all the surfaces. Friction is important. You want to physically remove any bacteria on your skin," Grein instructed. "Get them wet, put soap on and rub for 15 seconds," Grein told the BBC. Grein also listed a number of precautions that Cedars-Sinai uses to avoid spreading bacteria. The health system maintains clean environments, ensures healthcare workers wash their hands between patients and uses a variety of precautions during surgical procedures, Grein told the BBC. When patients do need antibiotics, Grein said they get the most effective drugs as quickly as possible and only for as long as is necessary. "The more you use antibiotics, the less useful they become over time, for the patient and the community," Grein said. Grein also told the BBC that the general public can do their part in limiting the spread of bacteria by washing their hands properly and getting vaccinated. Click here to listen to the complete program on the BBC's website. Photo of four spherical MRSA bacteria being enveloped and destroyed by human white blood cells courtesy of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Marni Usheroff marni.usheroff@cshs.org Share this release BBC Hand Washing Can Prevent Infection Help Avoid Antibiotic Overuse Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay: Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW: Want New Omicron Booster? Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home