T24 International News
A study conducted at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., USA, suggested that prescribed antibiotics had no effect on the severity of coughing and the speed of recovery.
Lead investigator Professor Dr. Dan Merenstein stated that lower respiratory infections causing coughs could potentially be more dangerous, with 5 percent of these patients developing pneumonia.
Merenstein stated in a press release at Georgetown: „Not everyone has easy access to an X-ray on their first visit, leading doctors to prescribe antibiotics without further evidence of a bacterial infection. I think this results in some patients waiting for antibiotics for coughs.“
Studies indicated that about 30 percent of people were prescribed antibiotics at their first doctor’s visit, but it turned out that compared to those not using antibiotics, the medications had no effect on coughing.
Merenstein mentioned that both people taking antibiotics and those who were not took the same amount of time to overcome the infection. „Both clusters showed complete improvement in about 17 days,“ he said.
Researchers stated that the excessive use of antibiotics increases the risk of dangerous bacteria becoming resistant to medications.
Merenstein emphasized the need for further research on coughing. „We know that coughing can be an indicator of a significant problem. Further investigations into significant cough symptoms and their proper treatment are necessary, possibly more in a clinical trial, as this study is an observational one and no randomized studies have been examined,“ he said. This issue has required work since 2012.
