Alteration of the body flora by antibiotics--can it be avoided?

It is not possible to avoid completely the undesirable consequences of antibiotics on the microflora of the human body, but their occurrence can be reduced significantly and to some degree controlled by a number of measures. These include: Rational antibiotic prescribing by individual clinicians. The construction and implementation of hospital antibiotic policies for the treatment and prophylaxis of infection. Good hospital hygiene. Isolation of patients colonized or infected by organisms resistant to certain antibiotics. National and international control of antibiotic use in humans and in animals.