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Doctors prescribe even though evidence says antibiotics don’t help the common cold.
Research presented at the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) annual meeting finds that doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics for the common cold. THis is despite the clear evidence that children with a cough associated with the common cold should not be given antibiotics.
Raising the question of how much does science really matter in profit driven medicine.
Over prescription on Antibiotics Still a Problem
Although they are not effective in treating this type of cough, researchers in Italy said many children are prescribed antibiotics anyway. Antibiotics are also overprescribed to children in the United States, other experts have said.
“In our experience, antibiotics are often prescribed by the general practitioner to treat cough in children, many times to pacify parents,” study lead author Dr. Francesco de Blasio, of the Clinic Center Private Hospital in Naples, Italy, said in an ACCP news release. “However, antibiotics show very little effectiveness at treating cough due to your average head cold.”
“Few drugs are effective as cough suppressants, and antibiotics are no more effective in relieving cough than the use of no medication,” he added.
Although antibiotics may not be an effective therapy for cough, they can be useful in treating underlying infections that may produce cough, adds Dr. de Blasio. But he warns that antibiotics should not be overused. “Using antibiotics as a treatment for cough without suspected infection is unnecessary and can be harmful,” explained Dr. de Blasio. “Repeated use of antibiotics, especially when they are ineffective, can lead to adverse allergic reactions or a resistance to the medications.”
