In a report released in the December print edition of the medical journal Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that pediatricians should be more careful about prescribing antibiotics to children suffering from infections. The Coloradoan recently published a news article on the report and its recommendations.
The AAP report noted that some doctors have become relatively lax about prescribing antibiotics to children. In fact, several doctors were routinely prescribing unnecessary antibiotics for common viral infections such as colds..
Often, the antibiotics that were prescribed were broad-spectrum drugs that are designed to target a wide variety of bacteria, and this trend, the journal notes, can lead to an increase in antibiotic resistance.
Far-reaching Repercussions
What the study revealed has far-reaching repercussions in the practice of pediatric care. If pediatricians are careless in the overprescribing of antibiotics, the world is at risk of developing bacteria which we cannot treat.
To mitigate these risks, the yardsticks used by physicians to decide what medicines to prescribe for different conditions should be assessed. The report also recommends that more stringent clinical criteria should be used to establish the diagnosis before even considering antibiotics.
For what it’s worth, that the report was able to raise such warnings is a welcome development. With the growing concern lately regarding the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the report’s recommendations will hopefully help prevent further mutations of such bacteria.
Thankfully, as the article says, there are pediatricians who are pleased with the study’s recommendations:
“While there are no absolutes in medicine, this report has a lot of ideas and concepts that, if applied, will decrease the use of unnecessary antibiotics,” said Dr. Kenneth Bromberg, chairman of pediatrics and director of the Vaccine Research Center at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City.
Parents who are concerned about their children being prescribed antibiotics can talk to a trustworthy Lone Tree pediatrician such as those at Lone Tree Pediatrics for advice and alternatively, a second opinion on the matter.
(Article Information and Image from American Academy of Pediatrics report urges doctors and parents to limit antibiotic use in kids, Coloradoan, December 15, 2013)
About Debra Berry
