Antibiotic therapy of acute upper respiratory tract infections and otitis media in adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Paź ◽  
Magdalena Arimowicz

An estimated 50% of antibiotic prescriptions may be unjustified in the outpatient setting. Viruses are responsible for most acute respiratory tract infections. The viral infections are often self-limiting and only symptomatic treatment remains effective. Bacteria are involved in a small percentage of infections etiology in this area. In the case of a justified or documented suspicion of a bacterial infection, antibiotic therapy may be indicated. Based on the Polish „Recommendations for the management of non-hospital respiratory infections 2016”, the indications, the rules of choice, the appropriate dosing schedules and the therapy duration, in the most frequent upper respiratory tract infections in adults, have been presented. Implementation of the presented recommendations regarding our Polish epidemiological situation, will significantly reduce the tendency to abuse antibiotics, and thus will limit the spread of drug-resistant microorganisms.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Ślęzak ◽  
Łukasz Dembiński ◽  
Artur Konefał ◽  
Mikołaj Dąbrowski ◽  
Artur Mazur ◽  
...  

Antibiotic therapy must be carried out consistently and according to the guidelines. Viruses are the dominant cause of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in children, as has been shown in many previous studies. Unnecessary antibiotic therapy should be avoided so that it does not affect patients' health and lead to the development of resistant bacterial strains. Here we report a national survey conducted in a group of 4,389 children to assess the impact of selected behavioral and environmental factors on antibiotic therapy in patients with URTIs. We found that selected environmental factors influenced the type of treatment. The place of residence, having siblings, an absence of vaccinations, the presence of allergies, and attendance at educational institutions were conducive to antibiotic therapy. These factors also influenced the frequency of hospitalization of children and their absence from nurseries, kindergartens, and schools, as well as the absence of their guardians from work.


2018 ◽  
pp. 58-62
Author(s):  
D. A. Tulupov ◽  
E. P. Karpova

This article provides an overview of the current clinical guidelines and consensus papers on the role of bacterial infection, indications and algorithm for antibiotic therapy in the treatment of the most common acute upper respiratory tract infections in children: acute rhinosinusitis, acute otitis media and acute tonsillitis.


1989 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 180-182
Author(s):  
Richard Hong

Recurrent infections constitute a major challenge to primary care physicians. Primary immunodeficiency or other alterations of the host defense system are extremely rare. In the case of recurrent respiratory infections, particularly of the lungs, a diagnosis will result much more often from ordering a sweat chloride test than a serum immunoglobulin level. RECURRENT RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS The major reason for referral to our clinic for investigation of the immune system is a complaint of too many upper respiratory tract infections. Each respiratory infection in a young child means loss of sleep for child and parents, expenditure of time at the physician's office, and possible loss of income in addition to the expense of medication and office visits. The child is often irritable and his or her misery clouds the home atmosphere. With repeated episodes of this sort each year, it is small wonder that parents want relief. The average number of upper respiratory tract infections experienced by healthy children is approximately 9 to 10 per year. At least 100 viruses can cause the common cold. Accordingly, even when a child has a normal immune system establishing immunity to each virus or virus subtype, it can take many years for a broad enough immunity to develop to diminish the frequency of infection due to newly encountered respiratory viruses.


1988 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Hashimoto ◽  
Robert Kellner ◽  
Curtis O. Kapsner

The authors administered a personality inventory, the Eysenck Personality Inventory and a distress scale, the Symptom Questionnaire, to all patients in a walk-in clinic of a general hospital during an influenza epidemic. Hostility, depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms were significantly higher in patients with upper respiratory tract infections ( p < .005); the majority scored in the range of psychiatric patients, regardless of whether patients had clinically classical influenza or merely symptoms and signs of another respiratory tract infection. There were no differences in the personality traits of extraversion or neuroticism between any of the groups, suggesting that hostility and distress were consequences of the viral infections and were largely unaffected by preexisting personality traits.


1994 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 185-191
Author(s):  
Floyd W. Denny

Acute infections of the upper respiratory tract, including those of the tonsils and pharynx, are the most common affliction of humans; their tendency to occur with much greater frequency in children makes them especially important to the pediatrician. A host of microbial agents can cause these infections, but only a few are responsive to antimicrobial agents. Because of the paucity of definitive laboratory tools that allow easy recognition of the cause of most acute respiratory infections, it is important for the practicing pediatrician to have other methods to aid in the clinical management of children who have these infections. This review will discuss the etiology and epidemiology of acute respiratory infections that involve primarily the tonsils and pharynx, with emphasis on how this knowledge can guide clinicians in their management. The groundwork for this approach will be laid by suggesting a classification of upper respiratory tract infections that involve the tonsils and pharynx. Causative agents will be enumerated and put into perspective. The major factors associated with the occurrence of acute upper respiratory tract infections will be discussed. Finally, treatment of the patient who has tonsillopharyngitis will be presented. Uncomplicated acute tonsillopharyngitis will be emphasized primarily and the role of complications only mentioned.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maija Saijonkari ◽  
Neill Booth ◽  
Jaana Isojärvi ◽  
Jenni Finnilä ◽  
Marjukka Mäkelä

AbstractBackgroundThe Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finland commissioned this systematic literature review on the effectiveness and safety of using face masks in public environments in protecting against upper respiratory tract infections, to inform policy. Previous reviews have not clearly distinguished the context of mask use.MethodsThe review was completed within two weeks, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines where possible. The review looks at the effect of face coverings (surgical masks or cloth coverings, excluding FFP2 and FFP3 masks) in protecting against the transmission in droplet-mediated respiratory tract infections. Our review includes controlled trials or previous systematic reviews of mask use by the general public in public spaces, outside homes and healthcare facilities.ResultsThe systematic literature search identified five randomized trials. Use of masks prevented infections in one subgroup of one pilot study, so the effect of face masks on the transmission of infections outside the home appears small or nonexistent. Five of the eight systematic reviews showed no evidence of face masks being helpful in controlling the spread of respiratory infection or preventing exposure in healthy individuals. Meta-analyses often combined very heterogeneous studies and costs were not reported in any studies.ConclusionsRandomized studies on the effect of face coverings in the general population are few. The reported effect of masks used outside the home on transmission of droplet-mediated respiratory infections in the population is minimal or non-existent. It is difficult to distinguish the potential effect of masks from the effects of other protective measures.Summary boxWhat is already known on this subject?Previous reviews on the effectiveness and safety of use of face masks in protecting against upper respiratory tract infections have not clearly distinguished the context of mask use. They have combined very heterogeneous studies done in homes, health care settings, or public environments.What does this study add?Our systematic review on the use of face masks in public environments, done to inform an impending policy decision, found five randomized trials (RCTs) and eight reviews. Use of masks prevented infections in one subgroup of one RCT, so the effect of face masks appears small or nonexistent.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 775-775
Author(s):  
Reginald Lightwood

Most pediatricians question the wisdom of random use of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections in children. However, there are still many physicians who make routine recourse to such treatment, perhaps without awareness that most upper respiratory tract infections are viral illnesses unaffected by antibiotic treatment. The results and conclusions by Soyka et al.1 provide good evidence. Their conclusions are that "Indiscriminate antibiotic therapy cannot substitute for proper diagnostic evaluation of the patient who may have a bacterial or, far more likely, a viral illness."


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