Antibiotic Resistance Webquest

Antibiotic Resistance Webquest

Antibiotic Resistance WebQuest

Introduction

  • Can you imagine becoming ill and the treatment doctors used to use is no longer effective? This happens many times as a result of antibiotic resistance.Antibiotic resistance is described as one of the world’s most pressing public health concerns. How and why does this happen? Who does this effect? Why should it matter to you?

Task

  • Your task is to research the controversial issue from four different standpoints: an everyday citizen, a livestock farmer, a doctor, and a scientist. It is up to you to come up with a summary of how and why antibiotic resistance happens, who it affects, and why it matters to you.

Resources

1)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

2)Antibiotic Use for Farm Animals

3)FDA Restricts Antibiotic Use For Livestock

4)CDC: Protecting Patients and Stopping Outbreaks

5)What Can We Do to Reduce Antibiotic Resistance

Process

  1. Everyday Citizen

Websites: Go to the websites below to help you in researching the everyday citizen.

1)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Questions: Answer the questions below as they relate to the everyday citizen.

  1. Why should the everyday citizen be concerned with antibiotic resistance?
  2. Why are bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics?
  3. How does the process of diagnosing an infectious disease contribute to antibiotic resistance?
  4. When are antibiotics appropriate to use?
  5. How can the everyday citizen prevent antibiotic resistance?
  6. What are some examples of drug-resistant infections that the everyday citizen should know about?
  1. Livestock Farmer

Websites: Go to the websites below to help you in researching the livestock farmer.

6)Antibiotic Usefor Farm Animals

7)FDA Restricts Antibiotic Use For Livestock

Questions: Answer the questions below as they relate to the livestock farmer.

  1. What role does the livestock farmer play in antibiotic resistance?
  2. What are some of the concerns about using antibiotics on farms?
  3. What do livestock farmers say are the“other” sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria besides farm animals?
  4. Which animals and diseases are of the highest concern?
  5. How is resistance transferred to humans?
  6. How would you describe the history of using antibiotics on farms?
  7. How could using the same antibiotics in animals and humans be a problem?
  8. What has the FDA done to lessen the overuse of antibiotics on farms?
  1. Doctor

Websites: Go to the websites below to help you in researching the doctor.

1)CDC: Protecting Patients and Stopping Outbreaks

Questions: Answer the questions below as they relate to the doctor.

  1. Why should doctors be concerned about antibiotic resistance within a healthcare setting, such as hospitals and nursing homes?
  2. What are some steps a doctor can do to combat antibiotic resistance in the inpatient healthcare setting?
  3. What are some reasons why antibiotic resistance occurs in outpatient healthcare settings, such in doctor’s offices?
  4. What are some steps a doctor can do to combat antibiotic resistance in the outpatient healthcare setting?
  1. Scientist

Websites: Go to the websites below to help you in researching the scientist.

  1. What Can We Do to Reduce Antibiotic Resistance

Questions: Answer the questions below as they relate to the scientist.

Tamar Barlam

  1. Explain what Tamar Barlammeans in her statement, “Pharmaceutical companies play an indispensable role in developing new antibiotics, but they are also part of the problem.”

George W. Beran

  1. Explain whatGeorge Beranmeans in his statement, “Their use is an effective adjunct to –but not a substitute for –optimal management, control of exposure and stress, nutrition, and sanitation in the food animal industry.”

Stuart B. Levy

  1. What are some corrective measures and preventative strategies suggested by Dr. Levy in order to help prevent antibiotic resistance?
  2. Who will need to participate in order to diminish the growth of bacterial resistance?

Stephen R. Palumbi

  1. Explain three ways suggested by Stephen Palumbi that can actually fix or slow the problem of antibiotic resistance.

You will prepare a written summary based on the research completed in this webquest. This summary should include the future of antibiotic resistance as you view it from your research. Are we on the right track to end this problem? Who (if anyone) do you feel has the most power to enact change?Who (if anyone) do you feel is contributing most to the problem? What more do you feel could be done? Do you feel other countries could be at greater risk? Why or why not?

Conclusion

  • In the process of completing this WebQuest, you have become informed about an important health problem from four different perspective: an everyday citizen, a livestock farmer, a doctor, and a scientist. You have learned how and why antibiotic resistance happens. You have learned about the public health threat posed by antibiotic resistance and identified people and actions that should be taken in order to solve the problem of antibiotic resistance.
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