SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Parents and pediatricians could be creating superbugs that no longer respond to antibiotics. A new study conducted at the University of Utah shows there are ten million prescriptions written that might do more harm than good.
Intermountain Medical Center Infectious Disease Doctor, Kristin Dascomb says a lot of overprescribing comes from a feeling of helplessness. "Physicians are eager to please their patients, especially moms who have young children, and young children being ill is probably the hardest thing for a mom to experience."
Researchers found a quarter of the time when antibiotics were prescribed by doctors for coughs and congestion the conditions could not be treated by the anti-bacterial medications.
"Even if we give you a good antibiotic that will kill bacteria, influenza, rhinovirus, which is the common cold and several other viruses won't change the course of getting and antibiotic."
Doctors say giving a child antibiotics when they don't need them can set them up for serious infections with resistant bacteria later on. It also has the potential to create superbugs that defy the current arsenal of medications. Dr. Dascomb says it's already happening. “Ear infections are not as easy to treat and other infections that are in the hospital are more resistant."
Researchers and experts agree antibiotics should be saved for when they are really needed. To protect their effectiveness they also say patients should follow the instructions, and finish medications. "If you take it when you don't need it, the next time you need it may not be effective for you."
