ICMR issues guidelines for taking antibiotics

Are you one of those who pop in antibiotics in case of mild fever or flu? If yes, then stop it right there. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued a guideline alerting the people doing so.

ICMR recommends avoiding antibiotics for mild fever

In its guidelines, ICMR has advised not to take antibiotics for mild fevers or viral bronchitis. It also said that doctors should keep the timeline in mind while prescribing these medicines.

Some antibiotics are proving ineffective

According to a survey conducted by ICMR between January 1 and December 31, 2021, an antibiotic named, ‘Carbapenem' does not affect many patients in India. The survey also revealed that there is a continuous increase in the number of pathogens that neutralize the effect of a drug, disabling them from treating some infections.

ICMR’s guideline regarding antibiotics

In the new guideline, ICMR has advised that antibiotics should be given for five days for skin and soft tissue infections, five days for community-acquired pneumonia and eight days for hospital-acquired pneumonia.

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