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Antibiotic Use in Sore Throat: Are We Judicious?

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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction Sore throat (acute tonsillitis/pharyngitis) is one of the most common clinical diagnosis encountered in ENT practice. It is a common practice to advice antibiotics in patients of sore throat not only in otolaryngology practice but also in pediatricians, GP’s and internists. This is now becoming a matter of concern for two reasons, for the side effects of antibiotics and bacterial drug resistance. Methods To analyse patients on their symptoms and rapid streptococcal test for group A Stretococcus and determine antibiotic use. A prospective study was done in 600 patients who were clinically diagnosed as acute tonsillitis or acute pharyngitis and results analysed. Discussion Results showed that 24 % patients needed antibiotics while the rest did well without antibiotics. Results Rapid streptococcal test is a useful test in determining whether the patient needs antibiotic and help is reducing irrational use of antibiotics.

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Abbreviations

RST:

Rapid strep test

GAS:

Group A Streptococcus (β haemolytic)

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Acknowledgments

The main author is grateful to Dr Naief Suleiman Khaled, CEO and partner, Emirates International Hospital, Al Ain for his constant support and encouragement not only during this study but also, in implimenting guidelines for good medical practice.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Conflict of interest

None.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Emirates International Hospital, PO Box 18088, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Mohit Agarwal

  2. Department of ENT, LN Medical College and Hospital, Bhopal, M.P., India

    Shiv Kumar Raghuwanshi

  3. Dermatology Department, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, M.P., India

    Dinesh Prasad Asati

Authors
  1. Mohit Agarwal
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  2. Shiv Kumar Raghuwanshi
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  3. Dinesh Prasad Asati
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Correspondence to Mohit Agarwal.

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Agarwal, M., Raghuwanshi, S.K. & Asati, D.P. Antibiotic Use in Sore Throat: Are We Judicious?. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 67, 267–270 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-015-0864-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-015-0864-1

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