Guidelines for antibiotic treatment of the most common infectious diseases in family medicine

The development of national guidelines for the use of antibiotics in the most common clinical syndromes is a significant contribution to the rationalization of antibiotic use. This is done with the aim of developing a strategy to control the spread of resistant bacteria. According to the guidelines of the Interdisciplinary Antibiotic Resistance Control Section (ISKRA) of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia, penicillin V and G are the first choices for acute sore throat caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (β-hemolytic streptococci of group A - BHS-A). Acute sinusitis (rhinosinusitis) and acute otitis media are self-limiting diseases, usually triggered by viral infections of the upper respiratory system. Antibiotics are not necessary for most patients. Complications are rare. Phenoxymethylpenicillin or amoxicillin are the first line of treatment. The first choice for treating bacterial pneumonia is amoxicillin. All symptomatic urinary tract infections and asymptomatic bacteriuria in selected patients should be treated, using the least-toxic, narrow-spectrum and cheapest antimicrobial drugs at an adequate dose and in a sufficiently long period of time to eradicate the infection.

Key words:
guidelines for antibiotic treatment; ISKRA guidelines; NICE guidelines; sore throat; otitis; sinusitis; pneumonia; urinary tract infections