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Most of doctor across world are used to give
antibiotics to their patients having persistent coughs but researchers
say that the antibiotics are ineffective in the coughs caused by mild
chest infections.
The new study found that the severity and duration of symptoms in
patients treated with antibiotics were no different to those given a
placebo.
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But experts caution that if pneumonia is suspected, antibiotics should
still be used due to the disease’s severity.
“Using the antibiotic amoxicillin to treat respiratory infections in
patients not suspected of having pneumonia is not likely to help and
could be harmful,” the BBC quoted Paul Little, lead researcher from the
University of Southampton, as saying.
“Overuse of antibiotics, dominated by primary care prescribing,
particularly when they are ineffective, can lead to the development of
resistance and have side effects like diarrhoea, rash and vomiting.
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“Our results show that people get better on their own. But given that a
small number of patients will benefit from antibiotics the challenge
remains to identify these individuals,” Little said.
In the study, the researchers randomly divided patients into two groups
– one received the antibiotic and the other was given a placebo, an
inert treatment in the form of a sugar pill, three times a day for seven
days.
The study found little difference in the severity and duration of
symptoms reported between groups. This was also true for older patients
– those aged 60 years or over – who made up nearly a third of the study.
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And those taking antibiotics were reported to have more side effects
including nausea, rash and diarrhoea than those given the placebo.
The study has been published in the Lancet journal. |