Study physicians too often prescribe unnecessary antibiotics

Unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to increased resistance of bacteria
Around the world, the resistance of certain bacterial strains to antibiotics is increasing. One reason for this is that antibiotics are generally over-prescribed. Researchers have now found out that their general practitioners too often prescribe antibiotics for patients with acute respiratory infections.

Bond University researchers found that antibiotics are far too common in acute respiratory infections. In Australia, the prescribed drug rates are about four to nine times higher than required by national guidelines. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Medical Journal of Australia".

The unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to a worldwide increasing resistance of the bacteria. Researchers in Australia are now investigating how often doctors unnecessarily prescribe the drug. (Image: Company V / fotolia.com)

General practitioners prescribe antibiotics too often
The researchers considered the general prescribing practice for their study from April 2010 to March 2015. The experts found that an estimated 5.97 million cases of acute respiratory infections were treated with at least one antibiotic. The use of antibiotics is not recommended in the guidelines for acute bronchiolitis / bronchiolitis, say the authors. Nevertheless, general practitioners prescribe them in 85 percent of the cases. In addition, antibiotics are not recommended for use with influenza, but are prescribed in eleven percent of all cases.

Examples of prescription rates of antibiotics
Antibiotics are also prescribed for many other diseases. These include, for example, pertussis (whooping cough, 71 percent prescription rate) and acute rhinosinusitis (nasal mucosal and sinusitis, current prescription rate at 41 percent). About 20 to 31 percent of cases of acute otitis media (middle ear infection), according to the experts, must be treated with the drug - at 89 percent actual prescription rate - and in addition, about 19 to 40 percent of cases with acute pharyngitis or tonsillitis require such treatment, where the actual prescription rate is 94 percent. In other words, antibiotics are prescribed much more often than appropriate, researchers said in a press release.

Diagnostic uncertainty of physicians may lead to the prescription of antibiotics
If the physicians adhered to the current guidelines, they would have been allowed to use the drug in as little as 11 to 23 percent of the current prescription rate, the authors say. Unfortunately, antibiotics are used in many health problems that do not require such treatment at all. There are several factors that lead to a more frequent prescription of antibiotics. For example, a diagnostic uncertainty by the attending physician is a possible cause of antibiotic use, the authors explain.

Antimicrobial drug resistance must urgently be reduced
Increasing drug resistance is a global problem, and reducing antibiotic use through, for example, national and international antibiotic prescribing guidelines is the most important countermeasure, say the experts.

Potential for reducing antibiotic prescriptions is huge
The potential for reducing antibiotic prescriptions and thus reducing the damage caused by resistant pathogens is significant, explain the authors. Our data form the basis for setting targets for antibiotic prescribing reduction in Australian medical practices, the researchers add. (As)