Health Library

The Associated Press reports that doctors continue to write 12 million antibiotic prescriptions yearly for virus-caused colds, bronchitis and upper respiratory infections even though they know that the antibiotics have no effect on viral illnesses.

The September 17, 1997 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association says that this kind of indiscriminate use of antibiotics is one of the main reasons for the emergence of drugresistant bacteria.

While more than 90 percent of upper respiratory infections, bronchitis and colds are caused by viruses and therefore unaffected by antibiotics; doctors continue to prescribe the drugs. Studies have shown that doctors may give in to patients’ expectations for antibiotics even though they know the drugs will not help.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Ralph Gonzales of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, says “Every time we use an antibiotic, we run the risk of promoting antibiotic resistance, or drug resistance by bacteria.”