Recently, my son was traveling overseas and called me up to tell me he had a bad case of diarrhea. He was about to board a 14-hour flight home and asked me what he should do. There’s nothing worse than dealing with diarrhea on a plane, so of course, I empathized with him. I thought to myself, this is likely just a 24-hour viral bug and he’ll do fine. But I still thought, ‘Would antibiotics help?’
Just when I was going to call him back with my answer, he texted me that the diarrhea was better. Problem solved.
But I started to wonder how many patients come in with that same question. In my unscientific poll, I asked a bunch of ER friends the most common question they get asked. They all said, ”ANTIBIOTICS!”
- It comes in different variations.
- “Last time, when I had a cold, antibiotics worked.”
- “I always get antibiotics for my bronchitis.”
- “My sore throat always clears up with antibiotics.”
And a favorite,
“I just don’t feel well. Can’t you just give me an antibiotic?”
I totally understand this sentiment. Antibiotics seem like a quick fix for bacterial infections, and they work….for a bacterial infection. People associate feeling better with taking them. However, not all illnesses need antibiotics. Viral infections like colds, bronchitis, and stomach bugs do not respond to antibiotics. Sometimes, we think we recovered from illness because of the antibiotics, when it was just our body’s natural healing process at work.
And here’s another one, just in time for summer. This is a common question I am asked about insect bites. Only the third leg would require an antibiotic.
What is the most common question you ask your doctor or nurse? If you are a clinician, what is the most common question patients ask you? Please send them along. I’d love to try to illustrate them.