Antiobiotics “just-in-case” lead to worse infections
Parents who believe antibiotics are a sure-fire preventative for diseases should take note of a current article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study indicates that giving antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI) do not prevent recurrent infections, and actually make it more likely that your child will contract an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria.
The study didn’t address whether antibiotic ointments for cuts and scrapes, or antibiotics for common earaches, have the same effect.
I’m particularly annoyed by advertisements that tell parents that injuries will heal faster with antibiotic creams. As far as I can tell, they heal faster because of everything in the creams except the antibiotics.
Even my old family doctor made the same error, which is why I have a new family doctor. The old one was so old that he was my new family doctor’s doctor when my new doctor was a boy. When I got a bloodshot eye during a bad case of dry heaves, he prescribed antibiotic ointment, even though there was obviously no woud. The problem is that antibiotics leave behind viruses (virii) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Which is not what you want.
You have the right to be similarly suspicious when your doctor prescribes antibiotics for viral diseases. Antibiotics don’t help viral diseases. They help drug companies whenever you spend money on something that can’t work, in a pious hope that modern medicine can solve all problems.
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