Are antibiotics effective for lower respiratory tract infections?
According to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the use of antibiotics provided no measurable impact on the severity or duration of coughs even if a bacterial infection was present.
“Upper respiratory infections like colds, sore throats, and sinus infections have clear antibiotic guidelines. Lower respiratory infections, including pneumonia, affect 3-5% of patients and often prompt antibiotic use due to limited access to X-rays and patient expectations. However, symptom relief and time typically resolve most infections,” said the study’s lead author, Dan Merenstein.
In the study, researchers prescribed antibiotics to people who sought treatment or urgent care settings for lower respiratory tract infections. They used advanced lab tests to identify bacterial or viral infections, categorizing them as bacterial-only, viral-only, both viral and bacterial, or no organism detected.
The results showed that of the 29% of people given an antibiotic during their initial medical visit, there was no effect on the duration or overall severity of cough compared to those who didn’t receive an antibiotic.
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