Have you ever taken antibiotics for any infections? I’m sure most of you have… have you been told to finish the course of treatment even after you feel better? This has been the traditional approach to antibiotic treatment for many years. The common belief is that, not completing the course of treatment would cause the bacteria to mutate and become resistant to the antibiotic. This belief was questioned by a study published in 2017 claiming that there is little to no evidence supporting the idea that not completing a prescribed antibiotic course results in antibiotic resistance; while many studies suggest that taking antibiotics more than necessary increases the chance of antibiotic resistance.
The common belief is that failure to complete the course of antibiotic treatment can result in antibiotic resistance. A new study has questioned this belief. Image from Pixabay
The study by Martin Llewelyn, a professor in infectious diseases at Brighton and Sussex medical school, and colleagues published in the British Medical Journal became controversial as it claimed that this idea has arisen from the “fear of undertreatment” in the early years of antibiotic discovery. The article suggested that “[policy makers, educators, and doctors] should publicly and actively state that this was not evidence-based and is incorrect.” Many experts agreed with these findings. Alison Holmes, a professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London, in agreement with this article mentioned that a great British authority, Professor Harold Lambert had made the same point in an article in 1999. This article states that since the optimum duration of antibiotic treatment for infections are unknown, patients should stop taking antibiotics when they feel better to avoid antibiotic resistance.
Martin Llewelyn and colleagues claim that there is no evidence for completing the course of antibiotic treatment and patients should stop taking antibiotics once they feel better. Image from Pixabay
On the other hand, many disagree with this claim. Sumanth Gandra, a physician, claims that although it is true that an antibiotic treatment course should be reduced to minimum, the only way to minimize antibiotic use responsibly, is by clinical trials to assess the optimal treatment lengths for different infections. Moreover, patients should not stop their antibiotics without consult with their physicians. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization (WHO) still strongly encourage the public to follow the instructions of their physician and finish the course of antibiotic treatment.
Health organizations strongly encourage the public to follow the instructions of their physicians and finish the course of antibiotic treatment. Image from Shutterstock
Antibiotic resistance is an important topic in today’s society and there are several different opinions about the causes of antibiotic resistance. Despite these disagreements, I think it is our responsibility as the educated public to follow the instructions and suggestions of authorities and experts in institutions such as WHO and advise others to do so.
