Antibiotic amoxicillin was ineffective for the treatment of pneumonia
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Infections of the lower respiratory tract are one of the most common diseases in developed countries. Although most of these infections, according to scientists and doctors, provoke viruses, an unequivocal answer to the question, whether antibiotics are effective in combating these infections, does not exist yet. This topic raises heated discussions, and studies in this direction give contradictory results.
The antibiotic amoxicillin, which doctors often prescribe for simple infections of the lower respiratory tract (such as bronchitis, pneumonia ), has been found to be generally ineffective in treating these diseases. In a study conducted by the University of Southampton and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, it was found that the use of this antibiotic does not benefit patients more than a placebo, that is, in no way treats and alleviates the symptoms of pneumonia and bronchitis and other infections of the lower respiratory tract .
"Patients taking amoxicillin do not get better sooner, and their symptoms are not significantly alleviated," says Paul Little, a professor at the University of Southampton.
"In fact, the use of amoxicillin for the treatment of respiratory infections in patients who are not suspected of such a serious illness as pneumonia is unlikely to be reasonable and even harmful." If you frequently take antibiotics that are prescribed by doctors for various common diseases, you can become a victim their side effects, such as diarrhea, rash, vomiting and the development of immunity to such drugs, "explains Professor Little.
The study involved 2061 people with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections (without suspicion of pneumonia). The participants represented eleven European countries (Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia). Some of these patients took amoxicillin three times a day for a week, and the other part at that time was given a placebo, that is, tablets without any useful or harmful properties. The doctors checked the patients' condition at the beginning of the study, and then every day they watched the symptoms of their illnesses.
There was no significant difference in the duration of disease symptoms in the first and second group of patients. Even in elderly people (over 60 years of age), the effect of taking antibiotics was minimal.
The worsening of the former and the appearance of new symptoms was recorded in 19.3% of patients taking placebo. Among those who took the antibiotic, this indicator was lower (15.9%), but those who took amoxicillin complained more of the side effects of drug treatment, including nausea, rash and diarrhea (28.7% vs. 24%). . "The results of our study suggest that most people with lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, get better on their own, without the help of antibiotics, but a small number of patients benefit from amoxicillin, and now we need to find out what the peculiarity is this group of people, "- concluded Professor Little.
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