Why do doctors prescribe antibiotics for viruses?

[brtspears2]

It makes you feel better, good old plecebo effect.

But with the many doctors I've been too, I've noticed that doctors do tend to stick to a certain product line of one company. I just look around the office, see promo posters, pens, post-it's from the company....

 

[SuperTool]

For the fvck of it.
Why do people buy anti-bacterial soap with triclosan? Do they even think that they are creating breeding ground for drug resistant bacteria in their own house.
Which would you rather have 10% chance of being infected with treatable bacteria, or 1% chance of infection with drug resistant bacteria?

 

[rockyct]

My wife works for a large pharmaceutical company so I know for a fact that there are kick-backs to the doctors, etc.....

Actually, that isn't quite true. Drug companies used to actually give the doctors valuable items but now that is illegal. All that they can give are trickets and items that don't really cost more then $10. They can provide a meal that can cost quite a bit and sometimes they might pay for skybox tickets or a round of golf. Doctors used to be able to go trips to Florida or somewhere but not anymore.

 

[MedicBob]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

It's a combination of 2 things.. One is the patient wants to leave with a pill that makes them better, the other is the pharmaceutical companies pay the doctors for prescribing certain medications.

My wife works for a large pharmaceutical company so I know for a fact that there are kick-backs to the doctors, etc.....

The pharmaceutical industry and popular media have created the pill=cure ethos. Only weak-willed and consumer-minded physicians will give medically-unnecessary prescriptions.

The only doctors being paid to prescribe certain medications are unethical ones. The majority do not practice quid pro quo medicine but it is a significant problem in the discipline.

It is an exception NOT the norm to give patients antibiotics as prophylaxis against latent bacterial infections. People with chronic diseases: cystic fibrosis, sickel cell disease, asthma, HIV/AIDS, etc get special consideration b/c best-evidence demonstrates a clear benefit.

To the contrary the vast majority of upper respiratory infections (sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis) are viral and in otherwise healthy people it is BAD medicine to give antibiotics. Even clear bacterial infections like ear (otitis media) are not treated by the antibiotic neither is strep throat. In both cases antibiotics merely reduce the risk of complications like mastoiditis (which can lead to meningitis) and rheumatic fever from untreated strep.

A very nicely stated and accurate post.

 

[bunker]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

To the contrary the vast majority of upper respiratory infections (sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis) are viral and in otherwise healthy people it is BAD medicine to give antibiotics. Even clear bacterial infections like ear (otitis media) are not treated by the antibiotic neither is strep throat. In both cases antibiotics merely reduce the risk of complications like mastoiditis (which can lead to meningitis) and rheumatic fever from untreated strep.

So the doc that prescribed Amoxicillin (sp?) for my 8 month old's ear infection should not have?

 

[The Sauce]

Well I don't know if I am the only doctor here but I'll tell you the real reason - malpractice suits. That's the reason we overtreat everything. AS was mentioned there is often no good way to differentiate a virus from a bacterial infection...especially in children and the elderly. Then if you get some obnoxious, ignorant patient who demands antibiotics and you don't give it and something bad happens to them, they are the first ones to sue you afterwards and then bye, bye career which you spent >10 years training for. Its not worth it to us to risk anything like that. I live in Pennsylvania and I can tell you that the situation is so bad there there are now NO specialists in certain fields in the entire state of WV and lots of medical services are no longer available because of malpractice suits and associated costs to doctors. Most of us base our enitre practices around avoiding litigation. Not a good way to take care of people but we need to protect ourselves first.

 

[The Sauce]

My wife works for a large pharmaceutical company so I know for a fact that there are kick-backs to the doctors, etc.....

If this does occur, it is completely illegal. I have never seen this or been offered any such thing in all my practice.

So the doc that prescribed Amoxicillin (sp?) for my 8 month old's ear infection should not have?

It's standard of care in the USA to treat...mainly because of the litigation concerns. If your kid winds up deaf because of an untreated ear infection, you could probably get several million in rewards from a US jury. In other countries these are not treated at all and outcomes are about the same.

 

[katka]

To the contrary the vast majority of upper respiratory infections (sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis) are viral and in otherwise healthy people it is BAD medicine to give antibiotics. Even clear bacterial infections like ear (otitis media) are not treated by the antibiotic neither is strep throat. In both cases antibiotics merely reduce the risk of complications like mastoiditis (which can lead to meningitis) and rheumatic fever from untreated strep.[/'Q]

I don't think that the vast majority of URI's are viral, and an antibiotic WILL and DOES kill bacteria. Yes, the doctor SHOULD have given your 8 month old an antibiotic, because as far as I have experienced viruses WON'T better when given the antibiotics, they get better with time whereas a bacterial infection will get better. Also, a LOT peoples sinus and throat infections are relieved with the removal of the tonsils and adenoids this to me means that it is not viral, because viruses can't be cured and would recur despite removal.

Example: Viral vs Bacterial Meningitis

There are no specific medicines or antibiotics used to treat viral meningitis.

Bacterial meningitis can be treated with a number of effective antibiotics. It is important, however, that treatment be started early in the course of the disease.

How does a doctor know if it is a virus or not? Swab the throat or nose, or whatever and send it to the LAB, not only can they tell you if it is a viral or bacterial infection, they could also tell you which antibiotics will and won't cure the infection. This is especially important in kids who get sick a lot. A good physician wants to know what IS wrong, not what is probably wrong.

 

[Geekbabe]

A lot depends on the patient and their history.I don't get sick very often but when I do catch a virus I quite often end up with secondary problems.The Doc would rather be proactive than ending up having to deal with me at 3am in the ER in respiratory crisis.

 

[heartsurgeon]

"pharmaceutical companies pay the doctors for prescribing certain medications.
My wife works for a large pharmaceutical company so I know for a fact that there are kick-backs to the doctors, etc..... "

WHAT? this is total crap - if this is true you should call the OIG (Office of the Inspector General) for your state and report your wife's company to them because that consititutes medicare fraud and is a felony! You could get rich ratting out your wife's company..that is if what you said is really true..

 

[element]

lol HeartSurgeon that is an awesome sig, so true hehe.