Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?

Objective Ever fuelling antibiotic use and resulting resistance is still prevalent in our society most commonly prescribed for throat infections. However community acquired throat infections are known to be caused mostly by viruses, therefore it was of interest to determine the incidence of bacter...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Farhan Essaa Abdullah, Atif Rasool, Hafiz Muazzam Ali, Fahad Shamsi, Wardah Muazzam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dow University of Health Sciences 2012-06-01
Series:Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jduhs.com/index.php/jduhs/article/view/1498
_version_ 1797818425331941376
author Farhan Essaa Abdullah
Atif Rasool
Hafiz Muazzam Ali
Fahad Shamsi
Wardah Muazzam
author_facet Farhan Essaa Abdullah
Atif Rasool
Hafiz Muazzam Ali
Fahad Shamsi
Wardah Muazzam
author_sort Farhan Essaa Abdullah
collection DOAJ
description Objective Ever fuelling antibiotic use and resulting resistance is still prevalent in our society most commonly prescribed for throat infections. However community acquired throat infections are known to be caused mostly by viruses, therefore it was of interest to determine the incidence of bacterial species grown from infected throats and whether the character of these isolates indicated antibiotic intervention to control ever increasing antibiotic resistances. Design Prospective Study. Place and Duration At a private Lab and Diagnostic Centre, Karachi, Pakistan during Jan 2010 to July 2011. Method The isolates from 362 patients of all ages presenting with RTI were cultured and identified using standard protocol. Antibiotic sensitivity of these isolates was checked using 23 drugs and the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method at a private lab in Karachi. In addition, to know the perspective of ENT specialists regarding the antibiotic resistance, rate of their prescriptions and the drugs they prescribe, 30 questionnaires were also collected. Results Among the 362 isolates Pneumococci were most commonly seen (35.34%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (23.01%) and notable Klebsiella pneumoniae (14.5%). The ENT physicians interviewed commonly prescribed any of 20 antibiotics, most often Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav or even the injectables Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone for pharyngitis. In our study, among others, the isolates were most sensitive to Cefotaxime (91.2%), Conclusion Pneumococci and Staphylococci were most often isolated from infected throats; these were likely part of residential flora accompanying infecting respiratory viruses, the drug therapy was hence superfluous and essentially harmful.
first_indexed 2024-03-13T09:07:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-4f2c7f7082a6493e9dab033c1afdd62a
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1995-2198
2410-2180
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-13T09:07:46Z
publishDate 2012-06-01
publisher Dow University of Health Sciences
record_format Article
series Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences
spelling doaj.art-4f2c7f7082a6493e9dab033c1afdd62a2023-05-28T03:11:19ZengDow University of Health SciencesJournal of the Dow University of Health Sciences1995-21982410-21802012-06-0162Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?Farhan Essaa Abdullah0Atif Rasool1Hafiz Muazzam Ali2Fahad Shamsi3Wardah Muazzam4Dr. Essa’s Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre, Karachi, PakistanUndergraduate MBBS Student, Sndh Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.Undergraduate MBBS Student, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanUndergraduate MBBS Student, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanUndergraduate MBBS Student, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanObjective Ever fuelling antibiotic use and resulting resistance is still prevalent in our society most commonly prescribed for throat infections. However community acquired throat infections are known to be caused mostly by viruses, therefore it was of interest to determine the incidence of bacterial species grown from infected throats and whether the character of these isolates indicated antibiotic intervention to control ever increasing antibiotic resistances. Design Prospective Study. Place and Duration At a private Lab and Diagnostic Centre, Karachi, Pakistan during Jan 2010 to July 2011. Method The isolates from 362 patients of all ages presenting with RTI were cultured and identified using standard protocol. Antibiotic sensitivity of these isolates was checked using 23 drugs and the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method at a private lab in Karachi. In addition, to know the perspective of ENT specialists regarding the antibiotic resistance, rate of their prescriptions and the drugs they prescribe, 30 questionnaires were also collected. Results Among the 362 isolates Pneumococci were most commonly seen (35.34%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (23.01%) and notable Klebsiella pneumoniae (14.5%). The ENT physicians interviewed commonly prescribed any of 20 antibiotics, most often Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav or even the injectables Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone for pharyngitis. In our study, among others, the isolates were most sensitive to Cefotaxime (91.2%), Conclusion Pneumococci and Staphylococci were most often isolated from infected throats; these were likely part of residential flora accompanying infecting respiratory viruses, the drug therapy was hence superfluous and essentially harmful. https://jduhs.com/index.php/jduhs/article/view/1498PharyngitisTonsillitisIsolatesAntibioticsResistance
spellingShingle Farhan Essaa Abdullah
Atif Rasool
Hafiz Muazzam Ali
Fahad Shamsi
Wardah Muazzam
Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?
Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences
Pharyngitis
Tonsillitis
Isolates
Antibiotics
Resistance
title Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?
title_full Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?
title_fullStr Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?
title_full_unstemmed Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?
title_short Are Antibiotics Needed for Common Throat Infections?
title_sort are antibiotics needed for common throat infections
topic Pharyngitis
Tonsillitis
Isolates
Antibiotics
Resistance
url https://jduhs.com/index.php/jduhs/article/view/1498
work_keys_str_mv AT farhanessaaabdullah areantibioticsneededforcommonthroatinfections
AT atifrasool areantibioticsneededforcommonthroatinfections
AT hafizmuazzamali areantibioticsneededforcommonthroatinfections
AT fahadshamsi areantibioticsneededforcommonthroatinfections
AT wardahmuazzam areantibioticsneededforcommonthroatinfections