Cold and flu season is fast approaching as most of the United States heads into the winter season. At my house, we’ve already had a round of respiratory viruses this week. This is also the time of year that antibiotics are most commonly prescribed.
But according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 80 percent of antibiotics prescribed for acute respiratory illness are unnecessary. Every time a person uses antibiotics, some resistant germs may be left to grow and multiply. When doctors unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics, these bacteria become resistant to antibiotic treatments, reducing the effectiveness of our medicines and encouraging hard-to-treat infections to flourish.
There is a growing body of research looking for ways to prevent the improper use of antibiotics. A recent systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration looked at the practice of testing for bacteria that can be treated with antibiotics at the doctor’s office before prescribing the medicine. The review included six studies that measured the effectiveness of an infection biomarker test called “C-reactive protein” in more than 3,200 patients.
The reviewers concluded that using this type of test did reduce the amount of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. But some of the data suggested an increased risk of hospital admissions for patients who were given this test before receiving a prescription. In the end, the reviewers concluded “care must be taken in how these tests are used. ”
An earlier review published in 2008 found that educating clinicians is an effective way to reduce the overuse of antibiotics. Broad-based interventions that provided information directly to prescribers reduce antibiotic use.
On a personal level, it can be difficult to feel sick and not receive a prescription that will help you feel better. But clearly documented evidence shows that antibiotics don’t work for colds or the flu, most coughs, and runny noses. Most often, these types of illness are best treated with extra rest, fluids and time. If you come down with a respiratory virus this winter, be sure to communicate with your doctor about whether antibiotics are an appropriate treatment.
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