How soon can i repeat antibiotic course?

For most infections, the long-standing advice is to take a full course of antibiotics.

The rationale for not simply stopping antibiotics as soon as you start to feel better is that antibiotics don’t kill the bacteria instantly.

If stopped too early, the remaining bacteria, which are exposed to low concentrations of antibiotics, tend to be more resistant. These can then re-grow, causing recurrent infection, or spread to other people.

The recommended length of the course depends on the type of infection, the likely cause, and how effective the antibiotics are at killing the bacterium and penetrating to the site of infection.

For infections commonly seen in general practice, most recommended courses last between three and seven days. For more serious infections requiring hospitalisation, the recommendations are generally a little longer.

Read more: Use them and lose them: finding alternatives to antibiotics to preserve their usefulness

A recent study from the United Kingdom found a substantial proportion of antibiotic prescriptions in general practice were for longer th

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