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The following text is from an archived Red Book® edition and may not reflect current recommendations or information. To view the current edition, click here.
Section 4. Antimicrobial Agents and Related Therapy
APPROPRIATE USE OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
Principles of Appropriate Use for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Approximately three fourths of all outpatient prescriptions for children are given for 5 conditions: otitis media, sinusitis, cough illness/bronchitis, pharyngitis, and nonspecific upper respiratory tract infection (the common cold). Physicians report that many patients and parents try to persuade them to dispense unnecessary antimicrobial agents. Children treated with an antimicrobial agent are at increased risk of becoming carriers of resistant bacteria, including S pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. Carriers of a resistant strain who develop illness from that strain are more likely to have antimicrobial therapy failure. In some conditions, such as otitis media with effusion, observation without antimicrobial therapy is recommended, and in other conditions such as the common cold or cough, antimicrobial therapy is not indicated. The following principles, with detailed supporting evidence, were published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians,
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