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In the United States, an estimated 50 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for viral respiratory infections.
To prove that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria and not by stress, a researcher consumed an entire laboratory beaker full of bacterial culture. After this, he did indeed develop stomach ulcers, and won the Nobel Prize for his discovery.
Certain chemicals, after ingestion, can be converted by the body into cyanide. Most of these chemicals have been removed from the market, but some old nail polish remover, solvents, and plastics manufacturing solutions can contain these substances.
More than 34,000 trademarked medication names and more than 10,000 generic medication names are in use in the United States.
Medication errors are more common among seriously ill patients than with those with minor conditions.