A new review reveals that doctors prescribe an antibiotic for up to 80 per cent of cases of sore throat, the ear infection otitis media, sinusitis and the common cold.
Most of these minor illnesses are caused by a virus, against which an antibiotic is useless. At best, the practice could be seen as a 'just-in-case' measure as a very small minority of these illnesses can sometimes be caused by bacterial infection. But, in reality, it's just adding to antibiotic resistance, and is bringing closer the day of the superbug for which we have no answer.
(Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2007; 60 (supplement 1):3-90).