> In developing nations people often use antibiotics in the worst way - a short course until they feel better, not a long course until the bacteria are all kill

> In developing nations people often use antibiotics in the worst way - a short course until they feel better, not a long course until the bacteria are all killed. This is partly because they don't know any better and partly because they buy what they can afford. This brings up an important topic in infectious diseases right now: in many cases, long courses of antibiotics increase selective pressure and favor the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One strategy to reduce drug resistance is to (rationally) minimize duration of treatment [1]. This isn't to say that medication nonadherence is good, but it is to say that the field is moving towards a shorter duration of treatment for many infections. [1] http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/4/491.short http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/4/491.short