New Study Reveals Antibiotic Abuse For Sore Throats Pushes Up The Third Leading Cause Of Death Worldwide

By World Health Care Network A new global study launched during World Anti-Microbial Awareness Week shows that high reliance on antibiotics to treat respiratory conditions such as sore throats is driving up antibiotic resistance - the third leading cause of death globally, with 4.95 million deaths linked to it each year.

The Sore Throat and Antibiotic Resistance (STAR) study, commissioned by the Global Respiratory Infection Partnership (GRIP) and Strepsils manufacturer Reckitt, found that more than half of adults surveyed took antibiotics for respiratory conditions, even though antibiotics were ineffective for 90% of sore throats. Upper respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of antibiotic misuse among adults worldwide.

The STAR findings suggest that misconceptions about how to treat a sore throat are contributing to the overuse of antibiotics. 61% of adults under the age of 35 believe that antibiotics are effective in treating a sore throat, and nearly half (45%) of this age group do not know how to treat a respiratory condition without antibiotics. This high level of confusion could explain why 38% of people under 35 are anxious about receiving treatment for a respiratory condition such as a sore throat without antibiotics.

However, this anxiety is mostly misplaced. Almost all sore throats do not require antibiotics because they are caused by viral rather than bacterial infections. Patients usually get greater symptom relief from the use of anti-inflammatory throat lozenges and painkillers.

During WAAW, GRIP (an expert-led programme to educate healthcare professional stakeholders on antibiotic misuse in respiratory diseases) urged the public to lead the way in fighting misuse and to consider alternative treatments and symptom relief by asking healthcare professionals whether antibiotics are appropriate.

Commenting on the study, Professor Sabiha Essack, Chairman of GRIP, said.

"The findings of this study are worrying as the under 35s (our future leaders and workforce) mistakenly believe that antibiotics are effective for all sore throats and colds and they may not be aware of the consequences of inappropriate antibiotic use on a personal and public health level.GRIP is calling for greater awareness and education on the appropriate use of antibiotics and is urging young people to ask questions to help fight antibiotic resistance."