Study Finds: Don't Rely on Antibiotics for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Scientists warn against overuse of antibiotics – they “don’t work” for most lower respiratory tract infections.

For bacterial infections, they do not reduce either the intensity or duration of cough, says the published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, a study by scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center.

How tells Medical Xpress, in the course of their research, they studied data from people who sought treatment in primary or urgent care settings. Dan Marenstein, MD, professor of family medicine at Georgetown and lead study author, notes that lower respiratory tract infections can potentially be more dangerous, causing pneumonia in 3-5% of patients. However, pay attention:

“Upper respiratory tract infections typically include colds, sore throats, sinus and ear infections. And there are well-established ways to determine whether antibiotics should be used in such cases. But not all patients with suspected bacterial infections may be given an X-ray at the first visit by doctors.” , so they are still often prescribed antibiotics.”

The researchers' analysis found that 29% of people who received an antibiotic during their first doctor's visit reported no effect on the duration or overall intensity of their cough compared to those who did not take it. Mark H. Ebell, MD, study author and professor of public health at the University of Georgia, says:

“Physicians are likely overestimating the percentage of lower tract infections that are bacterial. They are also likely overestimating their ability to distinguish viral from bacterial infections.”

The presence of an actual bacterial or viral infection other than a cough was confirmed by the researchers by the presence of pathogens identified using advanced laboratory tests. With a confirmed bacterial infection, the duration of illness was the same as for those taking an antibiotic – approximately 17 days.

Scientists strongly warn that overuse of antibiotics can lead to dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, rashes and other unpleasant consequences. Another major concern about the inappropriate use of antibiotics is resistance.

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