A new study shows that black and senior patients are more likely to be over prescribed antibiotics..
, according to a new study of 7 billion trips to health care centers – findings that doctors say warrant a further look into unequal prescription practices.
Most of those prescriptions were written for conditions like nonbacterial skin problems, viral respiratory tract infections, andThe study – which used data from visits to U.S. doctor’s offices, hospitals, and emergency departments – will be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Lisbon, Portugal, this weekend.
Doctors typically will prescribe an antibiotic if they fear a patient’s symptoms may lead to an infection, Young said. This is particularly true if the doctor believes a patient is unlikely to return for a follow-up, which, he says, “more frequently happens in minority populations.”estimates that at least 30% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions are not needed, and up to 50% of antibiotics prescribed are either unnecessary or the wrong type and/or dosage.
Though the findings still need more study, at first glance they provide a concerning but unsurprising look at health inequities, says Rachel Villanueva, MD, president of the National Medical Association, the leading organization representing doctors and patients of African descent. For patients 65 and older, it may be less about bias and more about having a hard time diagnosing certain conditions within that population, says Preeti Malani, MD, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Michigan Medical School and director of the National Poll on Healthy Aging.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Japan’s Senior Govt Official Kihara: No such thing as good or bad in currency ratesJapan’s Senior Govt Official Kihara: No such thing as good or bad in currency rates There's no such thing as good or bad in currency rates
Read more »
Advocates call out double standard for Black and brown migrants vs. Ukrainian refugeesWith more than 4.9 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of their country, the Biden administration announced in late March it will accept 100,000 people who are escaping that conflict into the U.S.
Read more »
Black, Asian law students call for professor to be suspended over racist remarksSeveral national law student associations call for a UPenn professor, who has espoused openly racist rhetoric, to be suspended from campus and prevented from speaking to students. - NBCAsianAmerica
Read more »