Ah ... the changing colors of trees, the chilly mornings, the runny nose, congestion and the sore throat-it must be cold and flu season.
Late fall is the beginning of cold and flu season, and also marks the time that many students come to Student Health with these type of medical complaints.
The growing problem of community antibiotic resistance is a cause of concern for doctors as well as the general public.
A study published in the July issue of the Journal of American College Health, details the beliefs and behaviors of University students concerning treatment of upper respiratory infections.
The pediatricians-Dr. Katherine Haltiwanger and Dr. Gregory Hayden, and family medicine physician Dr. Thomas Weber-concluded in their study that college students have misconceptions about how antibiotics should be used, and should be better educated.
The data found that as many as 44 percent of the test group-consisting of 132 students who exhibited cold symptoms-believed incorrectly that antibiotics cure viral infections. Antibiotics attack bacterial infections and are therefore ineffective at treating the common cold.
Haltiwanger and her colleagues also found that 55 percent of the students expected an antibiotic prescription at the end of the visit, showing that these students were less willing to accept a viral diagnosis.
Antibiotic resistance is caused by the inappropriate use of drugs to fight bacterial infections, which often begins with incorrect beliefs about antibiotics.
Bacteria's ability to resist being killed by an antibiotic is a somewhat complex scientific idea, and, for this reason, many people find it difficult to understand.
In the Charlottesville area, common antibiotic drugs such as zithromax and penicillin have been shown ineffective in treating certain bacterial infections.
Haltiwanger said the excessive requests for antibiotics by college students has contributed to the problems with antibiotic resistance in the area.
"College students are very busy and have lots of things to do, academically and socially. They come [to Student Health] looking for a quick fix and are less willing to let something run its course. If the Student Health physician doesn't prescribe, many call home and have the family physician call a prescription in, without seeing them," Haltiwanger said.
She added that because most of the upper respiratory infections are viral during this season, "antibiotics will be no help in these cases and may hurt in the long run."
Haltiwanger explained that when antibiotics are used inappropriately, some normal bacteria evolve and acquire or develop genes that protect them from being destroyed by the antibiotic. Then a patient may go to the doctor with a serious illness, and suddenly the antibiotic that the doctor prescribes no longer kills the bacteria effectively.
Bacteria evolve in response to what is happening in their environment. If antibiotics are present in the environment, most of the bacteria will be killed. But every now and then a bacterium will acquire or develop the necessary genes to resist being killed by the antibiotics. This becomes a selective advantage, and the resistant bacteria are better able to live and multiply.
"In a way, this is an example of survival of the fittest," Haltiwanger said.
As cold and flu season rapidly approaches, Haltiwanger stressed the importance of college students taking care of themselves.
"Anyone unsure about their illness should see a doctor," Haltiwanger said.
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