Self-administered antibiotics in viral infections

2017-01-10

Mark Loeb

What should we do in the case of a patient who has self-administered an antibiotic for a viral infection and approached a physician only after a few days? Is it better to continue or discontinue the drug?

Mark Loeb: If you really know that it is a viral infection – we know with 100% certainty that antibiotics do not work for viruses – so if you really know that it is a viral infection, just stop the antibiotic, because that will only promote the risk for resistance.

See also

Re-emerging and emerging infections What are re-emerging and emerging infections? What are the key challenges and approaches to these types of infections?
Examination of returning travelers with no clinical symptoms Should returning travelers with no clinical symptoms undergo a medical examination after their return?
New and re-emerging infectious diseases Prof. Mark Loeb, from McMaster University, Canada, reviews new and re-emerging infectious diseases, including Ebola virus disease, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), avian influenza, and chikungunya. The lecture discusses clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, and experimental treatments, with useful take-home messages.

Self-administered antibiotics in viral infections

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