▁happening ▁right ▁now ▁in ▁every ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁and ▁has ▁the ▁potential ▁to ▁affect ▁anyone , ▁of ▁any ▁age , ▁in ▁any ▁country ". ▁ ▁Medical ▁uses ▁Ant ib iot ics ▁are ▁used ▁to ▁treat ▁or ▁prevent ▁b acter ial ▁in fe ctions , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁proto zo an ▁in fe ctions . ▁( Met ron id az ole ▁is ▁effective ▁against ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁par as it ic ▁dise ases ). ▁When ▁an ▁in fection ▁is ▁sus pected ▁of ▁being ▁responsible ▁for ▁an ▁ill ness ▁but ▁the ▁responsible ▁path ogen ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁identified , ▁an ▁empir ic ▁ther apy ▁is ▁adopted . ▁This ▁involves ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁a ▁broad - spect rum ▁ant ib i otic ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁signs ▁and ▁sympt oms ▁presented ▁and ▁is ▁initi ated ▁pending ▁labor atory ▁results ▁that ▁can ▁take ▁several ▁days . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁responsible ▁path ogen ic ▁micro organ ism ▁is ▁already ▁known ▁or ▁has ▁been ▁identified , ▁definit ive ▁ther apy ▁can ▁be ▁started . ▁This ▁will ▁usually ▁involve ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁narrow - spect rum ▁ant ib i otic . ▁The ▁choice ▁of ▁ant ib i otic ▁given ▁will ▁also ▁be ▁based ▁on ▁its ▁cost . ▁Ident ification ▁is ▁crit ically ▁important ▁as ▁it ▁can ▁reduce ▁the ▁cost ▁and ▁to x icity ▁of ▁the ▁ant ib i otic ▁ther apy ▁and ▁also ▁reduce ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁ant im icro b ial ▁resistance . ▁To ▁avoid ▁surg ery , ▁ant ib iot ics ▁may ▁be ▁given