Friday, March 21, 2008

Antibiotics inefficient for common infection

Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics for sinusitis when the patient has been sick for seven to ten days. The reason why they wait after a certain amount days is because many doctors believe the longer illness duration, the greater the chance the patient has a viral infection. However, studies have shown that prescribing antibiotics based on how long a patient has been ill is not accurate. A Lancet study from Switzerland looked at the amount of time 2,600 people were ill before receiving antibiotics. Based on the evidence, the study showed that out of fifteen patients who were sick for ten days, only one would be cured with antibiotics. The researchers go on to say that not only are antibiotics not proven to help cure most people, they has side effects, high prices, and chances of resistance.


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