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Researchers in Boston have disproved their
own hypothesis that underuse of anti-inflammatory medications
by asthmatics is related to overprescription of antibiotics.
They found just the opposite:
Antibiotic
use by asthmatic members of a health maintenance organization
was directly associated with their level of consumption
of asthma medication.
Given the dramatic global increases in
asthma prevalence and microbial antibiotic resistance, the
potential public-health impact of increased antibiotic use
among subgroups of asthmatics is substantial. Heightened attention
is warranted to define the appropriate role of antibiotics
in the management of asthma.
Chest November,
2001;120:1485-1492
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