Balancing acts: Deciding for or against antibiotics in acute respiratory infections

Clinicians should also appreciate that patients may not distinguish antibiotics from other forms of prescription cold remedies and that when they ask for antibiotics, they really may be seeking reassurance and effective symptom management.³⁶ Furthermore, they need to be aware of and comfortable using various patient education, comfort, and negotiation strategies, such as symptom management and delayed antibiotic prescribing. Professional education that includes examples of realistic clinician/patient scenarios might be helpful with this.

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Nursing Research grant # NR07531-02.

CORRESPONDENCE
Ann Marie Hart, PhD, FNP, Assistant Professor, University of Wyoming, Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, Department 3065, 1000 E. University Ave, Laramie, WY 82071. E-mail: annmhart@uwyo.edu