Sore throats, why the dilemma?

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7392.766/a

BMJ 2003;326:766 ( 5 April )

Letters

Sore throats, why the dilemma?

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

EDITOR $---$ With reference to the article by Kumar et al, I find it hard to believe that the argument still goes on about the treatmentof sore throats.¹ If I had the energy I would dig up the articlesto support the followingstatements.

Firstly, the only probably treatable organism in the throat is streptococcus, virtually all else isviral.

Secondly, during the second world war the US government decided that the only sensible treatment was to give all troops complainingof a sore throat an injection of penicillin. They were unlikelyto complete a 10 day course of antibiotics orally, and the riskof anaphylaxis was less than the risk of a warinjury.

Thirdly, multiple studies show that it is very difficult to get anyone to complete a 10 day course ofpenicillin.

Fourthly, drug resistance is on the rise due to overuse ofantibiotics.

Fifthly, rapid tests for . . . [Full text of this article]

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