Who should and should not be given an antibiotic?
Dr Sharma said those with a viral infection should definitely not receive any antibiotics. “While doctors do prescribe antibiotics in people with viral infections to prevent a supra-added bacterial infection, there is enough evidence to show that they do not prevent a bacterial infection at all. Supra-added bacterial infections usually happen five to six days after the initial viral infection, so prescribing an antibiotic from day 1 is wasting a resource,” she added.
Antibiotics may also be prescribed when the infection hasn’t been diagnosed. “However, rapid kits should be used to diagnose the infection wherever possible. And, if not, simpler antibiotics should be prescribed till the infection is diagnosed and a targeted medicine can be used.”
Antibiotics are not recommended as prophylaxis before all surgeries and procedures. Only a few doses are needed before a dirty surgery and none at all before a clean surgery. Dirty surgeries are where the internal organs are opened up or there is pus and faecal matter involved.