Ferguson J
Hunter Area Health Service, Newcastle, NSW.
Aust Fam Physician. 1998 Oct;27(10):883-7.
The decision to institute antibiotic therapy is often empirical and based on historical precedent. As respiratory tract infections are the commonest reason for prescribing antibiotics and bacterial resistance to many drugs is increasing, it is important to look at the evidence for using antibiotics.
This article reviews the various components of the respiratory tree addressing the indications for instituting antibiotic therapy and the most appropriate antibiotic.
The information contained in this article is based on the 10th edition of the Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotics. It is acknowledged that the decision of when and which antibiotics to prescribe must be made on an individual basis, however, by considering the broader ramifications of antibiotic use and the evidence of outcome studies, the decision can be based on a more rational approach.
启动抗生素治疗的决定通常是经验性的，且基于历史先例。由于呼吸道感染是开具抗生素处方最常见的原因，并且许多药物的细菌耐药性在不断增加，因此审视使用抗生素的证据很重要。
本文回顾了呼吸道树的各个组成部分，阐述启动抗生素治疗的指征以及最合适的抗生素。
本文所包含的信息基于《治疗指南：抗生素》第10版。诚然，何时以及开具何种抗生素的决定必须根据个体情况做出，然而，通过考虑抗生素使用的更广泛影响以及结果研究的证据，该决定可以基于更合理的方法。
