According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance is currently one of the greatest threats to health worldwide (Haddox, 2013) . In the article The Health Threat of Antibiotic Resistance, Gail Haddox (2013) discusses the danger that antibiotic resistance poses in today's society and strategies to prevent the expansion of antibiotic resistance. In Europe alone, an estimated 25,000 deaths have been attributed to multidrug-resistant infections (Haddox, 2013). Common infections are now more difficult to treat due to growing antibiotic resistance around the world, with some becoming incurable. Antibiotics should be treated like oil, a non-renewable resource (Haddox, 2013). There are four classifications of bacteria that antibiotics are intended to combat. Gram-positive bacteria, includes staphylococci and streptococci. These bacteria cause infections on the skin, throat, lungs, and genital tract (Haddox, 2013). Gram-negative bacteria cause the most recognizable illnesses, including meningitis, gonorrhea, e-coli, salmonella, H. pylori, shingles and influenza. Anaerobes are bacteria that thrive in oxygen-deprived environments, such as the mouth, intestines, and genital tract (Haddox, 2013). Atypical bacterial mycobacteria include bacteria such as tuberculosis and small intercellular organisms, such as chlamydia (Haddox, 2013). There are many different types of antibiotics, and each class of antibiotics works in different ways. The diversification of the actions of these antibiotics is useful for targeting multiple types of bacteria. Penicillins and cephalosporins cause cell wall synthesis, weakening the bacteria and preventing cell division (Haddox, 2013). Quinolone antibiotics prevent bacteria from replicating by interfering ... middle of paper ... so that your practice and your patients receive the same response from everyone in the room. This helps reduce antibiotic resistance by reducing the amount of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed, while maintaining patient satisfaction because they are already aware of your policy (Haddox, 2013). Explaining to the patient why antibiotics do not work for them and also explaining what side effects they would cause, in particular is important to help the patient understand why an antibiotic is not necessary and also helps reduce antibiotic resistance. We are an instant gratification society and patients often see antibiotics as a quick fix, we must educate, educate, educate to protect our patients and the world as a whole from antibiotic resistance. Works Cited Haddox, G. (2013). The health threat of antibiotic resistance. Nursing practice. 24(1), 39-43.