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Too many kids are still getting antibiotic prescriptions for colds, viral sore throats, and other illnesses that don't require or respond to antibiotics, a study suggests.
The study is published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Antibiotics are some of the most powerful treatments that doctors can offer. But their overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance and hard-to-treat infections.
Researchers examined how often doctors prescribed antibiotics to children aged 14 and younger from 2007 to 2008. They compared these numbers to prescription rates in 1993 to 1994 to see what, if anything, had changed.
Researchers focused on five common upper respiratory infections:
- Sore throats
- Common colds
- Ear infections (otitis media)
- Bronchitis (inflammation of the airways)
- Sinus infections (sinusitis)
Many of these infections are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Antibiotics are not helpful in treating viral infections.
