Saturday 5 October 2013

Antibiotics still overprescribed in sore throat and bronchitis

Even today antibiotics are still drastically overprescribed for two common complaints -- sore throat and bronchitis. Doctors order antibiotics for about 60% of patients who complain of a sore throat, according to Jeffrey Linder, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

The problem is that only about one sore throat in 10 is caused by a pathogen -- group A streptococcus -- that responds to antimicrobial agents. The picture is even worse for bronchitis, Linder said -- some 73% of complaints result in an antibiotic prescription, but the condition never responds to the drugs.

The data come just weeks after the CDC warned that antibiotic resistance -- fueled by inappropriate use of the drugs -- is reaching a crisis.

People should be tiled that antibiotics not going to help you and there's a very real chance they're going to hurt you.


1 comment:

  1. So when we should prescribe antibiotics then for these things.In india people can't afford inversigations .I am telling what i do,when there is fever only theni prescribe and also strep sore throat has its own spot diagnosis.You please tell us what to do as kids get fever even in viral pronchitia or viral pharyngitis

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