US Medical Term · medications
Antibiotic
Antibiótico
How antibiotics are taken, and what "antibiotic resistance" means
MedlinePlus groups the ways antibiotics can be taken into three: orally (by mouth), as pills, capsules, or liquids; topically, as a cream, spray, or ointment put on the skin, or as eye ointment, eye drops, or ear drops; and through an injection or intravenously (IV), which it says is usually for more serious infections. A related term on the same MedlinePlus page is antibiotic resistance. MedlinePlus explains that it happens when the bacteria change and become able to resist the effects of an antibiotic, which means that the bacteria continue to grow.
What it means
An antibiotic is a medicine that fights bacterial infections in people and animals. Antibiotics work by killing the bacteria or by making it hard for the bacteria to grow and multiply. The National Cancer Institute defines an antibiotic as a drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. According to MedlinePlus, antibiotics only treat certain bacterial infections, such as strep throat and urinary tract infections, and they do not work on viral infections such as colds and flu. The side effects of antibiotics range from minor to very severe; some of the common ones include rash, nausea, and diarrhea. MedlinePlus also says that people should only take antibiotics when they are needed, because they can cause side effects and can contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Antibiótico
- Gender and article
- masculine: el antibiótico (plural: los antibióticos)
- Pronunciation
- ahn-tee-BYOH-tee-koh
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| antibacteriano | General | Given by MedlinePlus en español under 'Otros nombres' on its antibiotics page. |
Antibiótico is masculine: el antibiótico, plural los antibióticos, with a written accent on the ó. MedlinePlus en español uses the plural in its definition, Los antibióticos son medicamentos que combaten las infecciones bacterianas en personas y animales, and the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary defines the singular as a medicamento usado para tratar las infecciones causadas por bacterias y otros microorganismos. MedlinePlus en español gives antibacteriano under other names.
The Spanish phrase for antibiotic resistance is resistencia a los antibióticos, and MedlinePlus en español also writes infecciones resistentes a los antibióticos. For how a medicine is taken, it writes por vía oral (por la boca), tópicamente and por vía intravenosa. Side-effect words in the same text are efectos secundarios (side effects), sarpullido (rash), náuseas (nausea) and diarrea (diarrhea). A prescribed antibiotic is un antibiótico recetado; the page speaks of antibióticos recetados para otra persona, antibiotics prescribed for someone else.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | Do I need an antibiotic for this infection? | ¿Necesito un antibiótico para esta infección? |
| Clinician | Are you allergic to any antibiotic? | ¿Tiene alergia a algún antibiótico? |
| Patient | Yes, one antibiotic gave me a rash when I was a child. | Sí, un antibiótico me causó un sarpullido en la infancia. |
| Clinician | This looks like a viral infection, and antibiotics do not work on viral infections. | Esto parece una infección viral, y los antibióticos no funcionan para las infecciones virales. |
| Patient | The last time I took an antibiotic, I had diarrhea. | La última vez que tomé un antibiótico, tuve diarrea. |
| Clinician | Are you taking any other medicines right now? | ¿Está tomando algún otro medicamento en este momento? |
| Patient | Is this antibiotic taken by mouth, or is it a cream? | ¿Este antibiótico se toma por la boca, o es una crema? |
| Clinician | Call our office if you notice any side effects. | Llame a nuestro consultorio si nota algún efecto secundario. |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Antibiotic |
| Spanish (Español) | Antibiótico |
| Chinese (中文) | 抗生素 |
| Korean (한국어) | 항생제 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Kháng sinh |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Antibiotiko |
| Portuguese (Português) | Antibiótico |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ยาปฏิชีวนะ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 抗生物質 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines
All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos
Sources
- Antibiotics — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Antibióticos — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: antibiotic — National Cancer Institute (NIH)
- Diccionario de cáncer del NCI: antibiótico — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026