How does antibiotic misuse potentially lead to resistance?

Antibiotic misuse can lead to resistance primarily because it exposes bacteria to antibiotics without adequately eliminating them. When antibiotics are misused—whether through over-prescription, incorrect dosing, or incomplete courses of treatment—some bacteria may survive despite the presence of the antibiotic. These surviving bacteria can possess or acquire genetic traits that confer resistance to the antibiotic.

When antibiotics are applied inappropriately, the selective pressure created can encourage resistant strains to thrive. As these resistant bacteria reproduce, they can become the dominant strain in the population, making infections harder to treat. Consequently, the effectiveness of the antibiotics becomes diminished, leading to increased difficulty in managing infections. This process is fundamental to the development of antimicrobial resistance and highlights the importance of responsible antibiotic use.