Question

Viral infections are common problems in humans (colds and flu). How should these diseases be treated? Patients are going to request (or demand) antibiotics. As a nurse, how should you respond to these patients? What is the danger of prescribing unwarranted antibiotics just to placate patients?

Answer 1

Viral infections causing cold and flu irrespective of medicational effects lasts for a week. So it is best, not to take any medication .It can be treated in the following way

• Encourage the client to drink luke warm water or fluids
• Increase water intake and fluid
• Steam inhalation can remove congestion
• Honey tea, Green teak can be drank
• Relieve sore throat by salt water gargle
• Cough syrup can be used if symptoms are very severe
• Antihistamine to treat allergy

The better way to respond are

• Explain the harmful effects of antibiotics. This health education can create awareness and make patient understand when an antibiotic is required
• Antibiotics are necessary in case of infection only. It is not mandated to be used unless a patient has infection for safety reasons.

Inform them antibiotics for every single illness can lead to antibiotic resistance .Which is a danger to the human community .If they develop resistance to a drug then treating them for participating diseases can be a challenge and sometimes failure too.