New study says 25% of antibiotic prescriptions may not be needed

If you catch a bacterial infection, your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics to dispel it. Although antibiotics are effective at eliminating many conditions, researchers worry about the consequences of overuse, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as well as potential disturbances of the intestinal microbiome. And according to a study from the University of Michigan published in the British Medical Journalalmost one in four antibiotics may actually be useless. This echoes previous findings that antibiotics are important, but overused, as noted by the National Institutes of Health.

Beata Mostafavi, of the University of Michigan Health, wrote that researchers found that one in seven children and non-elderly adults had received a potentially useless antibiotic prescription in 2016. According to a recent press release on research, children studied, aged 18 to 64, 23% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were medically unnecessary and 28% were issued without a registered diagnosis. The researchers found that only 36% of participants received prescribed antibiotics that could have been medically useful. According to the study's authors, unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance – or antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains – which is "one of the greatest threats to public health in the world".

"The overuse of antibiotics is still prevalent and affects a considerable number of patients," said lead author of the study, Kao-Ping Chua, MD, Ph.D., a researcher and pediatrician of the 39 CS Mott Children's Hospital & University of Michigan's Hospital & Innovation, according to the press release. "Despite decades of quality improvement and educational initiatives, providers continue to write prescriptions for antibiotics for diseases that could improve on their own."

Katelyn Newman for US News & World Report wrote that, according to the study, researchers say that, despite more than 30 years of efforts to combat overconsumption of antibiotics, the results show "the widespread nature of inappropriate prescription of antibiotics in ambulatory at the level of prescription population. "

Overuse of antibiotics not only contributes to antibiotic resistance, according to the authors of the study, a 2018 study published in the Yonsei Medical Journal also found that antibiotics could disrupt the delicate ecosystem of the intestinal microbiome. The authors of the study write: "Recent studies have provided information on how antibiotics can affect the intestinal environment, the response of harmful and beneficial bacteria, and how pathogenic bacteria use these environments. Pathogens exploit sugars, radicals and oxygen resulting from disturbance of the gut microbiota and the inflammatory response of the host. The researchers further suggest that the therapeutic use of probiotic supplements and probiotic-based foods could be an important part of the restoration of the intestinal microbiome. by use of antibiotics.

In addition, researchers at the University of Michigan claim that, given the potential health risks badociated with over-consumption of antibiotics, "providers must imperatively eliminate unnecessary prescriptions, both for their patients and for society, "according to the press release.

Scott Hensley wrote for NPR that, if an appointment to your doctor resulted in a discussion about an antibiotic prescription, it might not be a bad idea to discuss your options. If you have a sinus or bacterial infection, you have a choice, Hensley wrote. "Often people really want treatment, but treatment does not necessarily mean antibiotics," John Cullen, a family physician in Valdez, Alaska told NPR. Some over-the-counter remedies can also help, and Cullen often recommends old-fashioned honey for coughing, Hensley wrote.

It is important to note that this research does not mean that antibiotic prescriptions are always superfluous. In fact, they are life-saving treatments in many cases. If you are prescribed antibiotics, it is important to follow the best practices for taking this medicine, in agreement with your doctor, to help prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance, which includes the end of treatment.