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From: mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: (antibiotics) legal?
Message-ID: <1425@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Mar-86 11:01:24 EST
Article-I.D.: osu-eddi.1425
Posted: Sun Mar  2 11:01:24 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 3-Mar-86 04:39:23 EST
References: <156@proper.UUCP> <12057@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <915@felix.UUCP> <22@spdcc.UUCP>
Reply-To: mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman)
Organization: StrongPoint Systems, Inc. (guest of Ohio State U.)
Lines: 34

Summary:

In <22@spdcc.UUCP> dyer@spdcc.UUCP (Steve Dyer) writes:
>	  Finally, you must realize that antibiotics are toxic by their
>	  very nature, after all, that is how they work.  Only very rarely
>	  is the mechanism of action of an antibiotic totally selective
>	  for microorganisms and harmless to the patient.  The decision
>	  to embark on antibiotic therapy comes from a consideration of
>	  the condition of the patient, an identification of the organisms
>	  involved and their susceptibility to the antibiotic, a clinical
>	  judgement as to whether or not antibiotics would effect the course
>	  of the condition, and an assessment of the possible side effects
>	  relative to the seriousness of the patient's condition.

In the dozens of times that my friends and I have had cause to seek help from
members of the medical profession with infections of various sorts, not one
of these doctors has EVER done or ordered a sensitivity test on a culture of 
the little beasties causing the problem.  Therefore, we have all spent 
between 3 weeks and 3 months playing 'musical antibiotics' with the doctor
until, purely by accident, he/she eventually stumbles upon the correct one
to prescribe.  The money spent for the useless drugs and office visits doesn't
bug me half as much as having non-specific urethritis for 3 months, when it
could have been fixed up in 2 weeks.

Is there some legitimate reason why doctors will not have such a sensitivity
test performed?  Most of the doctors I have gone to say that it isn't worth
the time and expense to the patient, but I have NEVER seen a case where the
correct antibiotic was prescribed the first time.
-- 
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Mark D. Freeman                                             mdf@osu-eddie.uucp
StrongPoint Systems, Inc.				    mdf@osu-eddie.arpa
Guest account at The Ohio State University		 !cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf

I speak, therefore I disclaim everything I say.
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