We are in a time of colds, flu and throat infections, and often when we go to the pediatrician the first thing we expect is to prescribe antibiotics. But these medications are used more than necessary, which negatively impacts the health of children and everyone, becoming a global health problem.
And it is that more than 90% of the infections that children have during the first two or three years of life are viral, and therefore do not require antibiotics, which are effective in treating infections caused by bacteria. Surely your son or daughter of those ages has already had more than one treatment with these medications.
Recently it has been celebrated European Day for the prudent use of antibiotics and pediatricians remember that these medications that are too often prescribed uselessly should be used well. According to the AEPED, most throat infections are caused by viruses and, therefore, antibiotics are of no use.
To know if a throat infection is caused by a bacterium called streptococcus, which needs antibiotic treatment, there is a rapid test that can be used in primary care consultations and that pediatricians have claimed for some time. Its implantation would favor the reduction of the use of unnecessary antibiotics in children.
Recent studies describe that rapid tests are effective to know if the throat infection is caused by a bacterium or a virus, which would be a great advance in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
The World Health Organization is increasingly concerned about antibiotic resistance. If only the really necessary antibiotics were taken, to treat bacterial infections, the risk of misuse due to the development of resistance to them by the microorganisms would be reduced.
Another issue that should be remembered is that, even when taking antibiotics is justified, it is not always done in the right way: you have to complete the antibiotic shots until the last day, that is, complete the cycle so that the medicine Act correctly
Definitely, antibiotics do not cure everythingThey are not pain relievers that can remove a headache or sore throat from a flu. We should not cheer our children happily (or self-medicate) or demand this type of medication when in many cases they will not be the most indicated.
