Doctors’ Group: Antibiotics Can Be Taken for Shorter Periods

Sumary of Doctors’ Group: Antibiotics Can Be Taken for Shorter Periods:

• By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, April 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Millions of Americans have at some point in their lives gotten a long course of antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection..
• The advice, from the American College of Physicians (ACP), says that for several types of infections, shorter courses of antibiotics do the job — and even do it more safely..
• In general, the ACP says, they can be managed with five to seven days of antibiotics, or even three days in certain cases, instead of the traditional 10 days or more..
• They may also help battle the widespread problem of antibiotic resistance — where bacteria that are exposed to an antibiotic mutate in an attempt to thwart the drug..
• When women take an antibiotic for a UTI, that can diminish the good bacteria that normally keep yeast growth in check..
• Those infections often arise after a person has had antibiotic treatment that destroyed many of the good bacteria in the gut..
• When COPD patients develop worsening symptoms (acute bronchitis) and the cause is likely a bacterial infection, the ACP advises antibiotic treatment for a maximum of five days..
• (In previous advice, the ACP has said that people without COPD do not need antibiotics for acute bronchitis — unless they may have pneumonia.) Pneumonia..
• When people develop uncomplicated pneumonia, antibiotics should be given for a minimum of five days, and possibly longer depending on symptoms..
• Women may be able to take the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for three days, or a newer antibiotic called fosfomycin as a single dose..
• As long as the infection does not involve pus (such as an abscess), it can be treated with antibiotics for five to six days….

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From WebMD - April 7, 2021