Sore throats and antibiotics

doi:10.1136/bmj.320.7228.130

BMJ 2000;320:130-131 ( 15 January )

Editorials

Sore throats and antibiotics

Applying evidence on small effects is hard; variations are probably inevitable

General practice p 150

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The liberal use of antibiotics for sore throats is increasingly frowned on.¹ There are three reasons why a clinician mightuse antibiotics for sore throat: to reduce the risk of complications,to shorten (or reduce the severity of) symptoms, and because offactors related to the consultation (perceived patient demand,ways of terminating the consultation, and so on). Nearly 30 yearsago Howie showed a huge variation in different general practitioners'use of antibiotics for sore throat.² Have general practitionersbeen thirsting for information on which to base their management?The notion that summarising evidence about an area of care willresult in a sort of regulation of doctors' management appearsto be naive. A Cochrane review summarising the advantages of antibioticsfor sore throat has been available for several years.³ Butthere is nothing to suggest that there is less variation in practice.General practitioners do not access evidence based . . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

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