Fewer antibiotics prescribed after warnings of overuse

September 5, 2011 · Posted in cholesterol 
Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Recent warnings over misuse and overuse of antibiotics appears to be paying off.

A new report released Thursday from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that since 1993-1994, the number of prescriptions written and filled for children under 14 years of age declined 24 percent.

The findings reveal that doctors prescribed fewer antibiotics for colds and sore throats, but little or no change was seen in prescriptions for ear infections.

Antibiotics are often used for viral infections and are not effective. Misuse can lead to treatment failure and resistance.

Experts say doctors incorrectly prescribe antibiotics more than 50 percent of the time, most often with respiratory infections.

The decline in antibiotic prescriptions was partially attributed to physician enlightenment, fewer doctors office visits and better vaccines.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on Health Treatment Stories

Comments

Leave a Reply




Powered by Yahoo! Answers