Antibiotic Prescribing for Cough and Symptoms of Respiratory Tract Infection Do the Right Thing

摘要

Although acute cough in healthy adults is common and treatment is a significant expense, the evidence on which treatment decisions are based is relatively limited; until recently, it consisted primarily of 9 studies with 750 patients, many performed a decade or more ago.A systematic review of these studies suggests a small benefit for antibiotics, with cough resolving about a half day sooner, balanced by a somewhat increased risk of adverse effects due to the antibiotic.