Antibiotic myths

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

It turns out that you need to be able to take antibiotics. According to the publication "Science and Life", according to statistics, antibiotics are prescribed and used incorrectly in almost half of the cases.

Based on the Russian experience, scientists from the Research Institute of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy of the Smolensk State Medical Academy formulated the main stereotypical misconceptions about antibiotic therapy.

According to the author of the report, Irina Andreeva, one of the most common misconceptions is the opinion that the duration of the course of antibiotics should be 10-14 days. In fact, it is not necessary to continue the course of antibacterial treatment until the symptoms of the disease completely disappear, and often short courses and even a single dose of the medicine are quite enough to achieve the effect.

The second misconception concerns the need to change drugs every 5-7 days to prevent the development of drug resistance in microbes. According to the author of the report, replacing an effective drug with another does not reduce, but, on the contrary, increases this risk. If the patient's condition does not improve within the first 2-3 days, the medicine must be changed immediately.

The opinion about the toxicity and suppressive effect of antibiotics on the immune system is reliably outdated.

Smolensk scientists also consider the opinion on the toxicity and suppressive effect of antibiotics on the immune system to be outdated. The old antimicrobial agents did possess these undesirable properties, but at present, drugs that suppress immunity are discarded at the stage of preclinical studies, Andreeva notes. However, some antibiotics, such as macrolides, not only do not suppress, but even stimulate the immune system.

The idea of such a side effect of antibiotics as dysbiosis is also greatly exaggerated. In the overwhelming majority of cases, Smolensk experts note, the change in the composition of the intestinal microflora caused by antimicrobial agents does not manifest itself clinically, does not require special correction and passes on its own. Many doctors consider it most effective to administer antibiotics directly to the site of infection. However, most modern drugs reach the required concentrations in the affected tissues and when administered intravenously. In addition, when applied topically, it is difficult to calculate the optimal dose of the drug, so it is justified only for skin infections, conjunctivitis, vaginitis and otitis externa.