Photo Credit: Andrii Yalanskyi

Lack of knowledge of antibiotic risks contributes to patients’ expectations of antibiotics for common symptoms, according to a study published in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. Lindsey A. Laytner, PhD, from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues conducted a survey (January 2020 to June 2021) in public and private clinics to study the prevalence and predictors of patients’ antibiotic expectations for common symptoms/illnesses. The analysis included 564 patients (Black: 33%; Hispanic/Latine: 47%). More than 93% of respondents expected to receive an antibiotic for at least one of the five predefined symptoms/illnesses. The expectation of antibiotics for a sore throat, diarrhea, and cold/flu was twice as high among patients in public versus private clinics. Increased antibiotic expectations for diarrhea (OR, 1.6) and cold/flu symptoms (OR, 2.9) were associated with a lack of knowledge of the potential risks of antibiotic use. Predictors of antibiotic expectations for diarrhea included lower education and inadequate health literacy.