Judicial use of antibiotics is crucial in preventing antibiotic resistance , a major global health concern. The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider antibiotic-resistant infections a national threat, with an estimated incidence of resistant infections of 6.1 per 10,000 person-days after using antibiotics . The ACP has released new recommendations that encourage shorter clinical antibiotic courses for treating common bacterial infections that clinicians encounter in both in-and out-patient settings.
Here is the summary of an evidence-based narrative review by the ACP on optimal antibiotic use. ##Literature review method## The ACP reviewed all the published clinical guidelines (Table 1) addressing bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), urinary tract…
