Gbetu TV (News They Are Not Talking About)
Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections contributes to antibiotic resistance, making some bacterial infections difficult to treat, a new publication by News-Medical reports. This it says often leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality.
‘Still, many physicians report prescribing antibiotics at their patients’ request’, it continued.
To address patients’ expectations for antibiotic prescribing for URTIs, researchers conducted an experiment in which study participants were assigned brief educational videos to watch on a tablet immediately prior to their appointment.
The authors randomized patients into three groups – one that viewed a presentation about the futility of antibiotic treatment of URTIs; a second group that viewed a presentation about the adverse effects associated with antibiotics; and a third control group that learned about the benefits of healthy diet/exercise.
The researchers then measured the effects of the presentations on patients’ beliefs that antibiotics are helpful for URTIs; their expectations to be prescribed an antibiotic; and whether they were actually prescribed antibiotics for their URTIs. Participants who viewed either the futility or adverse effects presentations had greater reductions in their expectations of receiving antibiotics compared to the group that viewed the video about the benefits of healthy/diet and exercise.
However, there was no significant difference between the three groups when it came to doctors actually prescribing antibiotics to patients. Researchers concluded that a brief, tablet-based waiting room intervention significantly changes participants’ expectations on receiving antibiotics for URTIs, but that future efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing need to involve both patients and their doctors.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has concluded plans to release the results of the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation…
Cardiologists and public health physicians have warned Nigerians against excessive consumption of cold water, stressing that it can lead to…
The Chang’e 6, China’s next robotic spacecraft to the moon, has been scheduled to set out on its journey in…
Gbenga Oloniniran writes about the discrimination experienced by some Nigerians on the premises of foreign businesses where they are met…
It's scientifically ambitious. It's aeronautically daring. And it's unflinchingly expensive. It's NASA's newly approved mission to Saturn's moon, Titan, where…
Since the coup d’état on May 24, 2021, a transition government has been in charge of Mali and shows no…