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follow the directions below
Critical Thinking Assignment 5:
Reflection and Response to the “Rise of the Superbugs” Video
Your assignment is to reflect on the video “Rise of the Superbugs”, conduct a bit of independent research, and write a response paper.
The video clearly makes the point that bacteria of many types are becoming increasingly resistant to the effects of antibiotics. (Note: People and animals do not become resistant to antibiotics! This is a common misconception.) The resulting difficulty in treating certain bacterial infections will likely continue to be an ongoing problem for years to come. Although the video does a great job of demonstrating the consequences of antibiotic resistance, it just briefly addresses how we got to this point and it discusses only one action (more antibiotic development) that might reduce the problem.
Since antibiotics became commercially available in the 1940s, a number of human actions have led us to the current problem of antibiotic resistance. Some of these actions include
Doctors overusing and misusing antibiotics, including inappropriately prescribing them for viral infections (to keep patients happy and feeling well cared for).
Patients demanding antibiotics to treat viral infections (because they think viruses and bacteria are more or less the same things, and therefore antibiotics should work against both types of microbes)
Failure by patients to take their antibiotics exactly as prescribed (for example, stopping treatment when they feel better instead of when the prescription is gone, saving unused antibiotics for the next time they get sick, or sharing antibiotics with friends or family)
Using antibiotics in animal feed to make animals grow faster by preventing bacterial diseases
Formulating antibacterial soaps that contain antimicrobial chemicals (some of these chemicals are closely related to antibiotics)
The ability to travel rapidly around the world which can result in movement of resistant bacteria to new areas (as shown in the video, antibiotic resistance is a problem in both developed and less developed countries, and there is no regulation of antibiotic sales and use in many less developed countries which can exacerbate the problem)
Health care providers and public health workers face a formidable challenge in convincing people to change the behaviors and practices listed above.
In this assignment, you will use
information provided by the video
at least one outside source,
a healthy dose of critical thinking
to address ONE possible solution that would potentially mitigate the problem of antibiotic resistance.
You will need at least 1 outside source of information (book or internet). Several potential reliable sources of information for this topic are:
Your textbook, Cowan, MK, Microbiology, A Systems Approach, 4th edition, Chapter 12 section 12.4 “Antimicrobial Resistance (on pages 343 – 348).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance, http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html (Links to an external site.)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Antimicrobial Drug Resistance, http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/antimicrobialresistance/understanding/pages/default.aspx (Links to an external site.)
You may also find a resource on your own, but you may NOT use sites such as Wikipedia, about.com, etc.
BE SURE TO CITE YOUR OUTSIDE SOURCE WHERE YOU USE THE INFORMATION IN THE TEXT OF THE PAPER AND PROVIDE A FULL REFERENCE AT THE END! Failure to cite your source of information will result in an automatic loss of 5 points.
After researching, you will need to integrate the information you gathered from the video and outside sources, and then demonstrate your critical thinking skills by addressing the following three items in your paper.
Describe ONE thing you would recommend that people do or stop doing to mitigate the problem of antibiotic resistance. (It is fine to use a potential solution mentioned in an outside source—there is no need to come up with your own original idea, as long as you cite the source of the idea.) (5 pts)
Discuss the pros and cons of your suggested course of action. Why might the course of action be expected to work well? Why might it not be expected to work well? Why might some people be willing and others unwilling to change their way of doing things? (6pts)
Explain the potential consequences and implications of ignoring the problem of antibiotic resistance and hoping it will go away on its own. In other words, why should everyone care about antibiotic resistance? (5 pts)
Your paper should be 1 – 1 ½, double-spaced pages using 10 to 12 point font and one-inch margins. This assignment is worth 10 points. (2pts)
This is a formal writing assignment. Minimal typos, no “texting” speak, complete sentences, non-conversational writing style, appropriate punctuation, and proper grammar are expected. (2pts)
Upload your file to Canvas by the deadline shown in the syllabus.
Reminder: Policy on late writing assignments (as stated in the syllabus): You may turn in ONE writing assignment (CTA) late without penalty. Additional late writing assignments (CTAs) will receive a score of zero. A late writing assignment (CTA) will be accepted via Canvas for ONE week following the closing date of the assignment.
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