Expert perspective on antibiotics

Antibiotics ‘unnecessarily used’

Analysis of GP records showed they also were prescribed too commonly for sore throats and ear infections.

There is no evidence prescribing them prevents serious complications except for chest infections, the British Medical Journal reported.

Experts want to see less prescribing to prevent resistance developing.

Guidelines advise against their routine use in patients with upper respiratory tract infections, such as coughs, colds and sinusitis, as well as sore throats and ear infection because these illnesses tend to be caused by a virus.

We definitely should not treat viral respiratory infections with antibiotics. However, bacterial infections do improve clinically with antibiotics. As many readers know, I have studied sore throats for many years. Clearly, patients have a faster recovery from a sore throat which is caused by a bacterial infection. When one uses clinical evaluation, the probability of a bacterial pharyngitis may reach or exceed 50%. Narrow spectrum antibiotics decrease the duration of illness by 1-2 days.

As a patient oriented physician, I treat the patient and try to improve their symptoms. The “experts” view patient care differently. They have not seen the suffering of acute bacterial infections which do not require hospitalization.

Now I am in favor of explicit criteria for antibiotic use. I champion narrow spectrum antibiotics. But please do not tell me not to treat streptococcal pharyngitis, or even likely strep throat.