Today in an ABC News Medical Unit report, Dr. Mark Ebell commented on a recent study that found that doctor’s are still prescribing antibiotics to children about twice as often as they are actually needed.

Experts not involved with the research said their big fear is that they will eventually have no treatment options for superbugs…. 

But there are other reasons that antibiotics should only be used when they’re needed.

“For some infections, like acute bronchitis, pharyngitis with a negative strep test, and URI, we know that antibiotics do not help you get better faster and are not needed,” said Dr. Mark Ebell, a family medicine physician and professor at the University of Georgia College of Public Health in Athens. “Even sinusitis and [ear infections] may be caused by viruses and often resolve without antibiotics.”

Read the entire article at ABC News.

Posted September 15, 2014.