Antibiotics Are Not for Everyone

When we are headed into the cold and flu season, I am practically bowled over parents wanting antibiotics for their child who has the sniffles and a fever for 1 day. Sorry, but you have a virus and even if I did feel like just appeasing you, antibiotics would do nothing.

Why is it so hard to get your provider to prescribe antibiotics? Resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is a big deal. Overuse of antibiotics like amoxicillin (pink bubble gum medicine) and azithromycin (z-pak) has lead to some serious issues with antibiotics and bacterial illness. It isn't our bodies that build resistance, it is the bacterial germs. Which means if someone is improperly prescribed an antibiotic, they can develop resistant germs and spread them like wild fire. (Think daycare, school, the mall, the doctors office!!) So, if your kid has what looks like a virus, then I'm not going to give them antibiotics.

Here are some tips on knowing when a child might need antibiotics for cold like symptoms and when they don't:

6+ months old : Fever (100.4 F) x 72+ hours - or - a fever that doesn't improve with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Typically fevers from viral infections resolve after 48 hours. If they are still running a fever, a visit to the doctor to see if antibiotics are needed is warranted. (Less than 6 months with a fever, go to the doc right away)

Cold symptoms x 7+ days that are not improving at all

Painful tugging on ears (this one is tricky because teething babies do this a lot)

Very red, sore throat, especially with white stuff on the tonsils or in combination with a rash.

Streaks of blood in boogers

When they don't:

Green -or- Yellow Snot- the color of snot is an indication of how dry the mucus is, not an infection. The rainbow of snot progresses as follows (moist-dry): clear, cloudy, white, yellow, green. Boogies will turn green even from allergies if they are stuck up the nose long enough. So break out the nasal saline (or put some epsom salt in the bath tub & blow bubbles with the nose) and clear those boogies out. :)

Diarrhea- rarely does diarrhea require treatment with an antibiotic. In fact, most antibiotics make diarrhea worse. If diarrhea lasts for more than a week or has blood or mucus, then more investigation needs to be done at the doctors office.



So happy cold season everyone. I promise your best tools when the boogers and coughing start are nasal saline, lots and lots of water, extra pillows at night, a humidifier and some good old chicken noodle soup.

Don't get me wrong. I am happy to see babies and kids at any point in their illness, make sure they just have a cold and offer suggestions for anyone who will listen. Just remember, not every illness can be cured with antibiotics.

***Please remember, this is just my opinion and does not replace a visit or phone call to your own pediatricians office under any circumstance ***