Antibiotic prescribing for acute bronchitis.

Antibiotic prescribing for acute bronchitis. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2016 May 24; Authors: Llor C, Bjerrum L Abstract INTRODUCTION: Acute bronchitis is a self-limiting infectious disease characterized by acute cough with or without sputum but without signs of pneumonia. About 90% of cases are caused by viruses. AREAS COVERED: Antibiotics for acute bronchitis have been associated with an approximately half-day reduction in duration of cough. However, the mean duration of cough in patients with acute bronchitis is about 3 weeks, and at follow-up there are no significant differences in overall clinical improvement in patients treated with antibiotics compared with those receiving placebo. Despite this, antibiotics are administered to approximately two thirds of these patients. This review discusses the reason for this antibiotic overprescription and depicts some strategies that can be used for reducing the unnecessary number of antibiotics prescribed. Other therapies targeted to control symptoms have also demonstrated a marginal or no effect. Expert commentary: Clinicians should be aware of the marginal effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for uncomplicated acute bronchitis, and their prescription must be weighed against the downsides associated with their use. Some strategies like the use of rapid tests, delayed prescribing of antibiotics and the use of leaflets for patients have been associated with a reduction of their un...
Source: Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther Source Type: research