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EDITORIALS: Alastair D Hay and Katy V Jüttner Antibiotics for acute cough in primary care BMJ 2009; 338: b834 [Full text]

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Treat according to symptoms

Rod A Storring   (12 May 2009)

Treat according to symptoms 12 May 2009
Rod A Storring, Community Consultant Chest Physician Baring andDagenham PCT Send response to journal: Re: Treat according to symptoms	Sir I question the usefulness of this article on reducing antibiotic usage in "lower repiratory tract infections". I, like 30% of the population, tend to get chest symptoms with viral infections. If these symptoms, usually a cough, get sufficiently troublesome I know they will settle with anti-asthma treatment including if necessary a steroid inhaler. If I also happen to feel unwell or have purulent phlegm I can also add antibiotics. Fortunately as a doctor I can arrange this treatment for myself and my patients. Viral infections can cause inflammatory reactions in the bronchi, and it is these and the symptoms they cause that need treatment. Antibiotics are only infreqently needed in the usually healthy. Competing interests: None declared