What’s the go with doctors prescribing very short antiobiotic courses, and on balance what contribution is this having to bacterial resistance.

If an infection doesn’t respond in the period, say like sinus infections can be hard to shift, there’s a period which a patient takes to return for another script, so in that period there’s greater opportunity for mutation and resistance.

Just an example.

TAFE might offer them a Certificate III in Antibiotics perhaps

transition said:

What’s the go with doctors prescribing very short antiobiotic courses, and on balance what contribution is this having to bacterial resistance.

If an infection doesn’t respond in the period, say like sinus infections can be hard to shift, there’s a period which a patient takes to return for another script, so in that period there’s greater opportunity for mutation and resistance.

Just an example.

IME, most doctors will write a repeat for the prescription with the instruction being that if symptoms of the infection continue past the first course that the repeat be filled so as to extend the treatment.

….. a problem there spelling antibiotic….
….was up til 3:00am

transition said:

What’s the go with doctors prescribing very short antiobiotic courses, and on balance what contribution is this having to bacterial resistance.

If an infection doesn’t respond in the period, say like sinus infections can be hard to shift, there’s a period which a patient takes to return for another script, so in that period there’s greater opportunity for mutation and resistance.

Just an example.

What exactly do you mean by a ‘short course’?

poikilotherm said:

transition said:

What’s the go with doctors prescribing very short antiobiotic courses, and on balance what contribution is this having to bacterial resistance.

If an infection doesn’t respond in the period, say like sinus infections can be hard to shift, there’s a period which a patient takes to return for another script, so in that period there’s greater opportunity for mutation and resistance.

Just an example.

What exactly do you mean by a ‘short course’?

like a bridging course… but not as much HECS to pay

Arts said:

poikilotherm said:

transition said:

What’s the go with doctors prescribing very short antiobiotic courses, and on balance what contribution is this having to bacterial resistance.

If an infection doesn’t respond in the period, say like sinus infections can be hard to shift, there’s a period which a patient takes to return for another script, so in that period there’s greater opportunity for mutation and resistance.

Just an example.

What exactly do you mean by a ‘short course’?

like a bridging course… but not as much HECS to pay

it’s HELP these days…

diddly-squat said:

Arts said:

poikilotherm said:

What exactly do you mean by a ‘short course’?

like a bridging course… but not as much HECS to pay

it’s HELP these days…

appropriate

Arts said:

diddly-squat said:

Arts said:

like a bridging course… but not as much HECS to pay

it’s HELP these days…

appropriate

it’s all about the ‘Loan’ now, as opposed to the ‘Contribution’…

>What exactly do you mean by a ‘short course’?

Like six days, mate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Course_(medicine)

In medicine the term course generally takes one of two meanings, both reflecting the sense of “path that something or someone moves along…process or sequence or steps”: – A course of medication is a period of continual treatment with drugs, sometimes with variable dosage and in particular combinations. For instance treatment with some drugs should not end abruptly. Instead, their course should end with a tapering dosage. – Antibiotics: Taking the full course of antibiotics is important to prevent reinfection and/or development of drug-resistant bacteria.

transition said:

>What exactly do you mean by a ‘short course’?

Like six days, mate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Course_(medicine)

In medicine the term course generally takes one of two meanings, both reflecting the sense of “path that something or someone moves along…process or sequence or steps”: – A course of medication is a period of continual treatment with drugs, sometimes with variable dosage and in particular combinations. For instance treatment with some drugs should not end abruptly. Instead, their course should end with a tapering dosage. – Antibiotics: Taking the full course of antibiotics is important to prevent reinfection and/or development of drug-resistant bacteria.

Ok, so anything you decide is short…

>Ok, so anything you decide is short…

Not exactly, ask a doctor about sinus infections.

transition said:

>Ok, so anything you decide is short…

Not exactly, ask a doctor about sinus infections.

Why?

FYI.

There are two reasons GPs give antibiotics;

1. You have a bacterial infection that needs treatment
Or
2. To get you the bunnings out of the consult room in under 10 minutes.

I seem to recall having a single dose antibiotic many years ago. I remember it because it was New Years Eve and the doctor had not mentioned that it should not be taken with alcohol. The pharmacy printout (a good feature in pharmacies in Brisbane then ) clearly told me to avoid alcohol.

poikilotherm said:

FYI.

There are two reasons GPs give antibiotics;

1. You have a bacterial infection that needs treatment
Or
2. To get you the bunnings out of the consult room in under 10 minutes.

Or
3. They have no idea what they’re doing so prescribe ABs anyway.

Little Speedy had had a cough and fever for a while, so doc prescribed ABs. After 5 days when the course was finished, there was no improvement (in fact, he was much worse), so before starting the repeat, we returned to GP for assessment. She said it was most likely pneumonia and to continue the ABs as well as another type of AB and to get LS to a hospital for Xrays ASAP (it was this past Sunday). Hospital doc told us that it was a virus and to stop taking the ABs! Did not bother doing an Xray. Stopped taking the ABs and saw improvement the next day.

Speedy said:

poikilotherm said:

FYI.

There are two reasons GPs give antibiotics;

1. You have a bacterial infection that needs treatment
Or
2. To get you the bunnings out of the consult room in under 10 minutes.

Or
3. They have no idea what they’re doing so prescribe ABs anyway.

Little Speedy had had a cough and fever for a while, so doc prescribed ABs. After 5 days when the course was finished, there was no improvement (in fact, he was much worse), so before starting the repeat, we returned to GP for assessment. She said it was most likely pneumonia and to continue the ABs as well as another type of AB and to get LS to a hospital for Xrays ASAP (it was this past Sunday). Hospital doc told us that it was a virus and to stop taking the ABs! Did not bother doing an Xray. Stopped taking the ABs and saw improvement the next day.

Would you have been happier to have been given nothing at the start and told to wait?

poikilotherm said:

Speedy said:

poikilotherm said:

FYI.

There are two reasons GPs give antibiotics;

1. You have a bacterial infection that needs treatment
Or
2. To get you the bunnings out of the consult room in under 10 minutes.

Or
3. They have no idea what they’re doing so prescribe ABs anyway.

Little Speedy had had a cough and fever for a while, so doc prescribed ABs. After 5 days when the course was finished, there was no improvement (in fact, he was much worse), so before starting the repeat, we returned to GP for assessment. She said it was most likely pneumonia and to continue the ABs as well as another type of AB and to get LS to a hospital for Xrays ASAP (it was this past Sunday). Hospital doc told us that it was a virus and to stop taking the ABs! Did not bother doing an Xray. Stopped taking the ABs and saw improvement the next day.

Would you have been happier to have been given nothing at the start and told to wait?

Yes. On many occasions our usual GP has told me/us that ABs won’t work.