Arthritis Copper Bands

[sherib]

Originally posted by delgirl
I believe it is equally drivel to take an antibiotic for Flu, which is a viral illness, except in order to ward off secondary bacterial infection.

Antibiotics are not prescribed for 'flu per se or to ward off infection (only vaccines can prevent infection). Ideally antibiotics should only be taken when there is evidence of secondary bacterial infection such as purulent sputum or bacterial infection confirmed by cultures from throat swabs or sputums. A prolonged infection might also be thought to indicate secondary infection.

In an ideal world a culture and sensitivity test would indicate the appropriate narrowest spectrum antibiotic. However, cultures do not always yield positive results and in those cases the prescription of an antibiotic would be based on a clinical examination and judgement and possibly a chest Xray when indicated.

While young children are frequently subject to viral infections, thereby building up immunity, they are also susceptible to secondary bacterial infections and a clinical judgement in those cases would also apply.

 

[delgirl]

Antibiotics are not prescribed for 'flu per se or to ward off infection (only vaccines can prevent infection).

In my experience antibiotics are being prescribed for flu and to prevent secondary bacterial infection.

Ireland was [broken link removed] as having one of the highest rates of antibiotic prescribing in Europe. A study published in the medical journal The Lancet in 2005 ranked Ireland 11th out of 26 European countries for overall outpatient antibiotic use in 2002.

The rate here in Ireland was nearly 20 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants, compared to a high of 32.2 in France and a low of 9.8 in the Netherlands. The UK, meanwhile, had a rate of 14.3 defined daily doses. With prescription rates are higher here than in many other European countries, it seems apparent that many of us may be taking antibiotics unnecessarily.

Inappropriate prescribing
Diagnostic uncertainty is one reason why a GP or other health professional may prescribe an antibiotic unnecessarily - if a doctor is not 100% sure of a patient's diagnosis, they may reason that the risk of prescribing an unnecessary antibiotic far outweighs the risk of leaving a potential infection untreated.

However, another key factor in antibiotic over-prescribing is patient demand. With many patients paying good money to attend their GP and hoping for a 'quick-fix', as is often the case in today's fast-paced life - it can seem inadequate to be told to go home and simply rest for a week. Patients may only feel satisfied if they have been prescribed a course of antibiotics, and pressure on GPs to do so can be immense.

Taking antibiotics when they are not needed and will not even work - for a cold or flu virus, for example - will only increase the chance of a resistant bacterial strain subsequently developing.

The role that the overuse of antibiotics has played in the surge of the MRSA infection is often overlooked.

 

[sherib]

In case anyone is misled, I have to correct delgirl. Antibiotics are not prescribed to prevent infection - they can only treat existing bacterial infection and have no role in prevention. All medical practitioners know that.

One of the reasons for the emergence of bacterial resistance is due to people failing to complete a course of antibiotics thereby allowing bacteria to survive and develop resistance. Another cause of the development of resistant strains is/was the excessive use of antibiotics in livestock which subsequently enter the human food chain.

 

[MOB]

My experience mirrors that of Delgirl. When diagnosed with flu and\or other viral infections, I have had more than one GP prescribe an antibiotic 'just in case' of secondary infection.

I should in fairness say that I have a history of getting a nasty ear infection, which takes quite a strong antibiotic to shift, and my current GP would in these circumstances tell me not to fill the prescription unless I went downhill.

 

[delgirl]

My experience mirrors that of Delgirl. When diagnosed with flu and\or other viral infections, I have had more than one GP prescribe an antibiotic 'just in case' of secondary infection.

I should in fairness say that I have a history of getting a nasty ear infection, which takes quite a strong antibiotic to shift, and my current GP would in these circumstances tell me not to fill the prescription unless I went downhill.

Yes, I should have perhaps expanded that I, and others in my family, have been offered antibiotics when presenting with flu symptoms 'just in case a secondary, bacterial infection occurs'.

Antibiotics are not prescribed to prevent infection..

My mother also received long term antibiotic treatment to prevent a chest infection as she suffered from Bronchiectasis.

 

[movax]

I believe it is equally drivel to take an antibiotic for Flu, which is a viral illness, except in order to ward off secondary bacterial infection.

So in light of the previous 5 or 6 posts is it still drivel del girl?

 

[jbro]

Well i happen to know a very strong and healthy man who works in the building trade and swears by them. Now he is realitively young but i reckon, given his belief that he won't suffer from arthritic pains because of the placebo effect.

Mind over matter is the way to go!! Its all about how and what you think!