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.
