Which antibiotics for bronchitis in adults

One recent trial examined the effectiveness of dark honey for symptom relief in children with bronchitis compared with dextromethorphan or placebo.

Although the authors concluded that symptom scores from patients treated with dark honey were superior to those treated with placebo, the clinical benefit was small. Many patients with bronchitis expect medications for symptom relief, and physicians are faced with the difficult task of convincing patients that most medications are ineffective against acute bronchitis. Table 3 includes methods that may facilitate these discussions.

Careful word selection and communication skills can help reduce antibiotic prescribing. Explain that antibiotics do not significantly reduce the duration of symptoms, and that they may cause adverse effects and lead to antibiotic resistance. Explain that many patients would need to be treated with antibiotics to prevent one case of pneumonia. Already a member or subscriber?

Log in. Interested in AAFP membership? Learn more. ROSS H. At the time this article was written, he was a hospitalist at Grand View Hospital in Sellersville, Pa. Address correspondence to Ross H. Reprints are not available from the author. The author thanks Elizabeth V. Albert, MD, for her assistance in the preparation of the manuscript. Ambulatory care visits to physicians offices, hospital outpatient departments, and emergency departments: United States, — Vital Health Stat Linder JA, Sim I.

Antibiotic treatment of acute bronchitis in smokers: a systematic review. J Gen Intern Med. Information leaflet and antibiotic prescribing strategies for acute lower respiratory tract infection: a randomized controlled trial.

Does this patient have community-acquired pneumonia? Diagnosing pneumonia by history and physical examination. Clinical practice. Acute bronchitis. N Engl J Med. Acute bronchitis in the community: clinical features, infective factors, changes in pulmonary function and bronchial reactivity to histamine.

Respir Med. Principles of appropriate antibiotic use for treatment of uncomplicated acute bronchitis: background. Ann Intern Med. Public beliefs and use of antibiotics for acute respiratory illness. Coco A, Mainous AG.

Relation of time spent in an encounter with the use of antibiotics in pediatric office visits for viral respiratory infections. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Association between antibiotic prescribing and visit duration in adults with upper respiratory tract infections. Clin Ther. Braman SS. Chronic cough due to acute bronchitis: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Are antibiotics effective treatment for acute bronchitis? A meta-analysis. J Fam Pract. Azithromycin for acute bronchitis: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial.

Protective effect of antibiotics against serious complications of common respiratory tract infections: retrospective cohort study with the UK General Practice Research Database. Effect of procalcitonin-guided treatment on antibiotic use and outcome in lower respiratory tract infections: cluster-randomised, single-blinded intervention trial. Procalcitonin guidance of antibiotic therapy in community-acquired pneumonia: a randomized trial. Effect of point of care testing for C reactive protein and training in communication skills on antibiotic use in lower respiratory tract infections: cluster randomised trial.

Effect of dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, and placebo on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents. Use of codeine- and dextromethorphan-containing cough remedies in children. American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Drugs.

Parental misinterpretations of over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold medication labels. Schroeder K, Fahey T. Over-the-counter medications for acute cough in children and adults in ambulatory settings. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Beta2-agonists for acute bronchitis. McKean M, Ducharme F. We just need your email, then we'll add you to the list! Cancel Subscribe. Toggle navigation McMaster University info mcmasteroptimalaging.

Back Evidence Summary. What is an Evidence Summary? Key messages from scientific research that's ready to be acted on Got It, Hide this. Review questions In people with acute bronchitis, do antibiotics improve symptoms? Background Acute bronchitis, or acute cough, can last for up to 8 weeks.

How the review was done The researchers did a systematic review , searching for studies available up to January What the researchers found The quality of evidence was generally good.

Conclusions In people with acute bronchitis, antibiotics reduce duration of cough and feelings of illness by half a day. View Clinician article. Related Topics Colds, cough and flu Lung conditions Prescription drug safety. Placebo A harmless, inactive, and simulated treatment. Randomized controlled trials Studies where people are assigned to one of the treatments purely by chance. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed. Remember, over-the-counter medicines may provide temporary relief of symptoms, but they will not cure your illness.

Be careful about giving over-the-counter medicines to children. Not all over-the-counter medicines are recommended for children of certain ages. You can help prevent acute bronchitis by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Antibiotic Prescribing and Use. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Chest Cold Acute Bronchitis. Minus Related Pages. Antibiotics will not help you get better if you have a chest cold acute bronchitis.

On This Page. What is a chest cold acute bronchitis? Close Swelling of airways in the lungs produce mucus in the lungs and makes you cough.