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Infectious disease specialists have long believed that the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria is directly related to the use and overuse of antibiotics. However, antibiotic use is still not limited appropriately in the primary care setting. What does this mean for the individual patient?
Researchers reviewed data from 24 studies describing the link between antibiotics prescribed in primary care and subsequent resistance to those antibiotics at the individual level. Meta-analyses were conducted of five studies focused on bacteria in the urinary tract (involving >14,000 individuals) and seven studies focused on the respiratory tract (involving >2600 individuals). All but one study in each analysis involved symptomatic patients rather than he…