Antibiotics, Antimalarials Not Needed for Viral Infections?
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Most children with fever in Tanzania suffer from a viral infection. A new study, by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, revealed that in most cases, antimalarials or antibiotics are not required. The finding has the potential to improve rational use of antimicrobials, thus reducing costs and drug resistance.
For the first time, the team of scientists attempted a comprehensive screening of Tanzanian children diagnosed with fever. They analyzed clinical field-data and the results of more than 25,000 lab tests using a complex algorithm. The results showed children suffered from acute respiratory infections, mostly due to viruses, especially influenza, in half of the cases. For the other children, malaria and bacterial infections were rare and most also had a viral infection. Neither antimalarial nor antibiotic treatment is required in these cases.
Treatments with antibiotics and development of resistance against them is one of the major public health problems not only in Africa, but world wide. “When a child has febrile illness, antibiotic should thus only be used in limited and specific situations that can be identified by a health professional,” study leader Dr. Valerie D'Acremont was quoted as saying. “The study represents a milestone in helping health personnel in resource-limited countries to better gauge these specific situations and provide the best treatment for their feverish patients.”
For more information, go to:
SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, February 2014
Click Here for a free weekly email with Ivanhoe's latest Medical Breakthroughs.