Doctors are still prescribing antibiotics incorrectly. Despite the threat of the antibiotic-resistant superbugs, doctors gave the drugs to 2.8 million children inappropriately, a two-year research study has discovered.
Many of the children suffered side effects to the antibiotics—such as diarrhea and skin rashes—which cost $74 million to treat, say researchers from Washington University School of Medicine.
Doctors prescribed antibiotics to treat viral infections—such as ear infection without pus, bronchitis, flu and colds—when they are designed for bacterial infections, the researchers said.
Over a two-year period, the researchers discovered that 2.8 million prescriptions for antibiotics had been given inappropriately to children aged from six months to 17 years.
“Sometimes parents think that the worst that could happen is that the antibiotic just won’t help their child, but antibiotics aren’t harmless and can cause adverse reactions,” said researcher Anne Mobley Butler.
(Source: JAMA Network Open, 2022; doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.14153)
What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community
