Clinical Question: Does prescribing...

Clinical Question: Does prescribing antibiotics for viral infections save time?

Setting: Outpatient (primary care)

application of mind Design: Cross-sectional

Synopsis: Many physicians fear that if they do not prescribe antibiotics they will fail to keep patients to other doctors or they will have to dispose of time explaining to patients with what intent an antibiotic is unnecessary. In this meditation the authors used the National Ambulatory Medical Care observe to evaluate the duration of visits for children presenting with boreals or bronchitis. The survey, complet according to physicians and office staff, included an item labeled "time exhausted with a physician." The mean duration of the visits during which antibiotics were prescribed was 1424 minutes; the mean duration of the visits when antibiotics were not prescribed was 1418 minutes.

Other studies have demonstrated that patient demand, patient satisfaction, and the likelihood of switching physicians are not affected by dint of the receipt of an antibiotic; however, prescribing antibiotics does increase the likelihood of following drug-seeking behaviors.

Bottom Line: Prescribing antibiotics for respiratory infections in children does not improve patient satisfaction, does not save time, and does not affect the duration or severity of viral illnesses. (Level of Evidence: 2c)

ALLEN F SHAUGHNESSY, PHARM.D.

cogitation Reference: Coco A, Mainous AG. Relation of time exhausted in an encounter with the use of antibiotics in pediatric office visits for viral respiratory infections. Arch Pediatr Adolesc M December 2005;159:1145-9

Used with permission from Shaughnessy AF. Prescribing antibiotics does not save time. Accessed online January 18 2006 at: http://www.InfoPOEMs.com.

COPYRIGHT 2006 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group