Doctors doing more harm than good 'by misusing antibiotics'

[Guest guest]

Family doctors persist in handing out antibiotics for conditions against which they do not work. A survey shows that antibiotics are being prescribed for up to 80 per cent of cases of sore throat, earache, chest infection and sinusitis, in spite of official guidance against this practice. The drugs do not work against viruses, which are the commonest causes of these conditions. By prescribing them, GPs increase the risk of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which represent a great threat. Irene Petersen and Andrew Hayward, of University College London, used the NHS General Practice Research Database to investigate the issue. They looked at the data provided by 60 GPs between 1998 and 2001 that recorded the illnesses they had diagnosed and the drugs they had prescribed. In the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy they report that many conditions for which antibiotics are most often prescribed are predominantly caused

by viruses. “Many doctors believe that by giving an antibiotic they might be doing some good or at least covering the possibility of a missed

diagnosis of significant bacterial disease, with little thought given to the possibility of doing harm,” Douglas Fleming, a GP and member of the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance, said in an accompanying article. Regular analysis of the data should be carried out to monitor trends in GP prescribing, which are known to have levelled off since 2001, the authors suggest. But GPs still need to be persuaded not to write the prescriptions, according to a review of professional attitudes to antibiotic prescribing published in the same journal by the professional education subgroup of the committee. “We must not be lulled into a false sense of security believing the prescribing behaviour of GPs has changed” Dr Fleming said. Doctors often yield to entreaties by patients who want antibiotics simply to get them out of the surgery happy. Patients who have had antibiotics before are particularly hard to send away empty-handed. A survey of public attitudes in the journal found a surprisingly high proportion of people who believe that antibiotics work on viral conditions and that knowing more about them did not make it any less likely that they would be misused. For example, individuals who said they knew that a course of antibiotics should always be completed also remarked that they would keep left-over antibiotics to use on another occasion. “Although a third of the public still believe that antibiotics work against coughs and colds, simply getting the public to believe otherwise may not be enough to reduce the level of prescribing,” the authors say. “We have shown that those with greater knowledge about antibiotics are no less likely to be prescribed an antibiotic.” Peter H

 

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[Guest guest]

Of course - they could take vitamin C, and certain herbs, which do

work against viruses.

 

Jo

 

, Peter VV <swpgh01 wrote:

>

> Family doctors persist in handing out antibiotics for conditions

against which they do not work.

> A survey shows that antibiotics are being prescribed for up to 80

per cent of cases of sore throat, earache, chest infection and

sinusitis, in spite of official guidance against this practice.

> The drugs do not work against viruses, which are the commonest

causes of these conditions. By prescribing them, GPs increase the

risk of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which

represent a great threat. Irene Petersen and Andrew Hayward, of

University College London, used the NHS General Practice Research

Database to investigate the issue.

> They looked at the data provided by 60 GPs between 1998 and 2001

that recorded the illnesses they had diagnosed and the drugs they had

prescribed. In the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy they report

that many conditions for which antibiotics are most often prescribed

are predominantly caused by viruses.

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window.open(pubUrl+'template/2.0-0/element/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?

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>

>

> " Many doctors believe that by giving an antibiotic they might be

doing some good or at least covering the possibility of a missed

diagnosis of significant bacterial disease, with little thought given

to the possibility of doing harm, " Douglas Fleming, a GP and member

of the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance,

said in an accompanying article.

> Regular analysis of the data should be carried out to monitor

trends in GP prescribing, which are known to have levelled off since

2001, the authors suggest. But GPs still need to be persuaded not to

write the prescriptions, according to a review of professional

attitudes to antibiotic prescribing published in the same journal by

the professional education subgroup of the committee. " We must not be

lulled into a false sense of security believing the prescribing

behaviour of GPs has changed " Dr Fleming said.

> Doctors often yield to entreaties by patients who want

antibiotics simply to get them out of the surgery happy. Patients who

have had antibiotics before are particularly hard to send away empty-

handed.

> A survey of public attitudes in the journal found a surprisingly

high proportion of people who believe that antibiotics work on viral

conditions and that knowing more about them did not make it any less

likely that they would be misused. For example, individuals who said

they knew that a course of antibiotics should always be completed

also remarked that they would keep left-over antibiotics to use on

another occasion.

> " Although a third of the public still believe that antibiotics

work against coughs and colds, simply getting the public to believe

otherwise may not be enough to reduce the level of prescribing, " the

authors say. " We have shown that those with greater knowledge about

antibiotics are no less likely to be prescribed an antibiotic. "

>

>

>

> Peter H

>

>

>

>

> Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less,

sign up for your freeaccount today.

>

[Guest guest]

I am a strong believer in echinacea in reducing the length and severity of a cold if taken at the first sign ( sore throat usually for me ), but taken for longer than 2 weeks then its effectiveness seems to diminish as the body gets used to it. The Valley Vegan............heartwerk <jo.heartwork wrote: Of course - they could take vitamin C, and certain herbs, which do work against viruses.Jo , Peter VV <swpgh01 wrote:>> Family doctors persist in handing out antibiotics for conditions against which they do not work. > A survey shows that antibiotics are being prescribed for up to 80 per cent of cases of sore throat, earache, chest infection and sinusitis, in spite of official guidance against this practice. > The drugs do not work against viruses, which are the commonest causes of these conditions. By prescribing them, GPs increase the risk of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which represent a great threat. Irene Petersen and Andrew Hayward, of University College London, used the NHS General Practice Research Database to investigate the issue. > They looked at the data provided by 60 GPs between 1998 and 2001 that recorded the illnesses they had diagnosed and the drugs they had

prescribed. In the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy they report that many conditions for which antibiotics are most often prescribed are predominantly caused by viruses. > function pictureGalleryPopup(pubUrl,articleId) { var newWin = window.open(pubUrl+'template/2.0-0/element/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?id='+articleId+' & offset=0 & sectionName=IndustrySectorsHealth','mywindow','menubar=0,resizable=0,width=615,height=655'); } > > > "Many doctors believe that by giving an antibiotic they might be doing some good or at least covering the possibility of a missed diagnosis of significant bacterial disease, with little thought given to the possibility of doing harm," Douglas Fleming, a GP and member of the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance, said in an accompanying article. > Regular analysis of the data

should be carried out to monitor trends in GP prescribing, which are known to have levelled off since 2001, the authors suggest. But GPs still need to be persuaded not to write the prescriptions, according to a review of professional attitudes to antibiotic prescribing published in the same journal by the professional education subgroup of the committee. "We must not be lulled into a false sense of security believing the prescribing behaviour of GPs has changed" Dr Fleming said. > Doctors often yield to entreaties by patients who want antibiotics simply to get them out of the surgery happy. Patients who have had antibiotics before are particularly hard to send away empty-handed. > A survey of public attitudes in the journal found a surprisingly high proportion of people who believe that antibiotics work on viral conditions and that knowing more about them did not make it any less likely that they would be

misused. For example, individuals who said they knew that a course of antibiotics should always be completed also remarked that they would keep left-over antibiotics to use on another occasion. > "Although a third of the public still believe that antibiotics work against coughs and colds, simply getting the public to believe otherwise may not be enough to reduce the level of prescribing," the authors say. "We have shown that those with greater knowledge about antibiotics are no less likely to be prescribed an antibiotic." > > > > Peter H > > > > > Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, sign up for your freeaccount today.>Peter H

 

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[Guest guest]

Therefore it is wise to use it for up to two weeks at a time.

 

Jo

 

, Peter VV <swpgh01 wrote:

>

> I am a strong believer in echinacea in reducing the length and

severity of a cold if taken at the first sign ( sore throat usually

for me ), but taken for longer than 2 weeks then its effectiveness

seems to diminish as the body gets used to it.

>

> The Valley Vegan............

>

> heartwerk <jo.heartwork wrote:

> Of course - they could take vitamin C, and certain herbs,

which do

> work against viruses.

>

> Jo

>

> , Peter VV <swpgh01@> wrote:

> >

> > Family doctors persist in handing out antibiotics for conditions

> against which they do not work.

> > A survey shows that antibiotics are being prescribed for up to 80

> per cent of cases of sore throat, earache, chest infection and

> sinusitis, in spite of official guidance against this practice.

> > The drugs do not work against viruses, which are the commonest

> causes of these conditions. By prescribing them, GPs increase the

> risk of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which

> represent a great threat. Irene Petersen and Andrew Hayward, of

> University College London, used the NHS General Practice Research

> Database to investigate the issue.

> > They looked at the data provided by 60 GPs between 1998 and 2001

> that recorded the illnesses they had diagnosed and the drugs they

had

> prescribed. In the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy they

report

> that many conditions for which antibiotics are most often

prescribed

> are predominantly caused by viruses.

> > function pictureGalleryPopup(pubUrl,articleId) { var newWin =

> window.open(pubUrl+'template/2.0-0/element/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?

>

id='+articleId+' & offset=0 & sectionName=IndustrySectorsHealth','mywindow

> ','menubar=0,resizable=0,width=615,height=655'); }

> >

> >

> > " Many doctors believe that by giving an antibiotic they might be

> doing some good or at least covering the possibility of a missed

> diagnosis of significant bacterial disease, with little thought

given

> to the possibility of doing harm, " Douglas Fleming, a GP and member

> of the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance,

> said in an accompanying article.

> > Regular analysis of the data should be carried out to monitor

> trends in GP prescribing, which are known to have levelled off

since

> 2001, the authors suggest. But GPs still need to be persuaded not

to

> write the prescriptions, according to a review of professional

> attitudes to antibiotic prescribing published in the same journal

by

> the professional education subgroup of the committee. " We must not

be

> lulled into a false sense of security believing the prescribing

> behaviour of GPs has changed " Dr Fleming said.

> > Doctors often yield to entreaties by patients who want

> antibiotics simply to get them out of the surgery happy. Patients

who

> have had antibiotics before are particularly hard to send away

empty-

> handed.

> > A survey of public attitudes in the journal found a surprisingly

> high proportion of people who believe that antibiotics work on

viral

> conditions and that knowing more about them did not make it any

less

> likely that they would be misused. For example, individuals who

said

> they knew that a course of antibiotics should always be completed

> also remarked that they would keep left-over antibiotics to use on

> another occasion.

> > " Although a third of the public still believe that antibiotics

> work against coughs and colds, simply getting the public to believe

> otherwise may not be enough to reduce the level of prescribing, "

the

> authors say. " We have shown that those with greater knowledge about

> antibiotics are no less likely to be prescribed an antibiotic. "

> >

> >

> >

> > Peter H

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for

less,

> sign up for your freeaccount today.

> >

Peter H

>

>

>

>

> Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less,

sign up for your freeaccount today.

>