An ongoing dialogue on HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases,
August 31st, 2011
It’s Time for Antibiotic Placebos
As I’m sure you all agree, it’s high time we had a good antibiotic placebo. Just think — we’d be able to prescribe a 100% effective treatment for viral respiratory tract infections, with the assurance of no risk of antibiotic resistance, C diff, allergic reactions, tendon ruptures, photosensitivity, drug-drug interactions, or any of the myriad other […]
October 27th, 2008
Antibiotics as Placebos?
This article in the BMJ is geting lots of news: Out of 679 practicing physicians in the United States, about half admitted to prescribing placebos on a regular basis. A “small but notable proportion (13%) of physicians reported using antibiotics.” My first instinct was surprise that the rate was this low, but then I remembered that public […]