Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Essay

A 41-year-old male presents to the doctor’s office you work at complaining of a sore throat and headache. Upon examination, he is diagnosed with a virus that is currently prevalent in the area he works. He is told to rest and drink liquids until the virus has run its course. He becomes irate and tells you he wants an antibiotic. How could you explain to him why he does not need an antibiotic? What are some alternatives you could consider for a patient who demands an antibiotic? *Prior to posting, be sure to review Syllabus and Discussion Board Rubric (under Course Resources) for Discussion Board guidelines and expectations.

How Could You Explain To Him Why He Does Not Need An Antibiotic?

Coxeter, Del Mar & Hoffmann (2017) highlight how the management of acute respiratory infections (RTIs) presents nurses with challenges since they are the most commonly reported infections, cause of frequent hospital visits, and a common reason for antibiotic prescriptions in primary care settings. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Essay. However, the American College of Physicians (ACP) and CDC advises against prescribing antibiotics for viral infections since antibiotics can only kill bacteria and not viruses and assure that patients can get better after the viral infection runs its course (Harris, Hicks & Qaseem, 2016).

Bacteria and viruses have different structures and survival mechanisms. Viruses lack cell walls that antibiotics can attack like bacteria. Instead, have a protective protein coat and attack body cells by moving into the cells and reprograming them to make more copies. It is because of these differences in structure and survival mechanisms that antibiotics cannot work on viral infections (Dallas et al., 2016).
What Are Some Alternatives You Could Consider For A Patient Who Demands An Antibiotic?

Alternative approaches to consider for a patient demanding an antibiotic include:

• Asking the patient the reasons they feel they need an antibiotic
• Taking time to educate the patient why antibiotics are not beneficial against viral infections
• McDonagh et al., (2018) suggests requesting a patient to wait a week longer without a prescription and to get in touch immediately after one week elapses and they still experience all the symptoms
• Providing educative materials to take home on the differences between bacteria and viruses
• Smith et al., (2018) emphasizes on providing patients with alternate symptom treatment methods such as a prescription for symptom remedies. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Essay.

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References

Coxeter, P. D., Del Mar, C., & Hoffmann, T. C. (2017). Parents’ expectations and experiences of antibiotics for acute respiratory infections in primary care. The Annals of Family Medicine, 15(2), 149-154.

Dallas, A., van Driel, M., Morgan, S., Tapley, A., Henderson, K., Ball, J., & Spike, N. (2016). Antibiotic prescribing for sore throat: a cross-sectional analysis of the ReCEnT study exploring the habits of early-career doctors in family practice. Family practice, 33(3), 302-308.

Harris, A. M., Hicks, L. A., & Qaseem, A. (2016). Appropriate antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infection in adults: advice for high-value care from the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annals of internal medicine, 164(6), 425-434.

McDonagh, M. S., Peterson, K., Winthrop, K., Cantor, A., Lazur, B. H., & Buckley, D. I. (2018). Interventions to reduce inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections: summary and update of a systematic review. Journal of International Medical Research, 46(8), 3337-3357.

Smith, D. R., Dolk, F. C. K., Pouwels, K. B., Christie, M., Robotham, J. V., & Smieszek, T. (2018). Defining the appropriateness and inappropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in primary care. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 73(suppl_2), ii11-ii18. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Essay.