Here are five points:
1. ACP President Wayne J. Riley, MD, said inappropriate use of antibiotics for ARTIs is an important factor contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, which is a public health threat.
2. ARTIs include the common cold, uncomplicated bronchitis, sore throat and sinus infection, and are the most common reason for physician’s office visits.
3. According to unpublished CDC data, an estimated 50 percent of antibiotic prescriptions may be unnecessary or inappropriate in the outpatient setting, which equates to over $3 billion in excess costs.
4. Antibiotics are also responsible for the largest number of medication-related adverse events and the cause of about one in five visits to emergency departments for adverse drug reactions.
5. Here’s key steps for physicians:
- Physicians should not prescribe antibiotics for patients with the common cold.
- Physicians should not perform testing or prescribe antibiotics for patients with uncomplicated bronchitis unless pneumonia is suspected.
- Physicians should recommend analgesic therapy (aspirin, acteaminophen, throat lozenges, etc.) for patients with sore throat. Antibiotics should only be given to patients diagnosed with strep throat.
- Physicians should reserve antibiotic treatment for sinus infection for patients with persistent symptoms for more than 10 days, onset of severe symptoms or signs of high fever and nasal discharge or facial pain lasting for at least three consecutive days.
More articles on quality and infection control:
Prime Healthcare ACO joins other Shared Savings Program ACOs: 5 observations
Northeast Indiana hospitals keeping it simple with emergency codes: 3 insights
Single course of antibiotics causes increase in genes linked with antibiotic resistance — 3 notes
