There has been an increase in the number of respiratory syncytial virus infections in babies and toddlers in the U.S.
There is a possibility that the drug shortage may be related to the surge in the number ofRSVs. Why would that happen?
Dr. C. Buddy Creech is a professor in the division of infectious diseases at the school.
It is rare for children to get infections after a bout ofRSV. An estimated 0.6% to 1.2% of children hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis, which causes inflammation of the air tubes in the lungs, end up with so-called secondary bacterial infections, according to a report in the journal.
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Influenza raises the risk of infections but rarely occurs with them. Studies suggest that the rate ofbacterial infections in children hospitalized with flu is 2% to 4%.
There are no secondarybacterial infections more often than not. "With that being said, we still have to be careful so that we don't get sick from it." Guidelines for how to confirm the presence of abacterial infections before giving a child antibiotics are offered by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors should not prescribe antibiotics to children with viral infections in order to prevent future infections. "You wouldn't do it just in case," said Dr. Francisco Alvarez, a clinical professor of pediatrics and a hospitalist.
It raises a question as to whether doctors are overprescribing antibiotics to children with viral infections when there is a shortage of the drug.
It's possible that there are other factors at play, but it's also possible that there are two factors at play.
Drugmakers don't have much incentive to shore up their inventories of low-cost drugs, such as antibiotics, which leaves them vulnerable to shortages when demand spikes unexpectedly, he said. CNN reported that companies were scrambling to fill orders after demand for amoxicillin rebounded in multiple countries. A lack of supply may have been revealed by the surge ofRSV.
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The "oral powder for suspension," a powder that's mixed into liquid before use, is currently in shortage. According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, some capsule and tablets are in short supply.
Shruti Gohil is the associate medical director of the Epidemiology and Infections Prevention program at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.
She explained that outside hospitals, doctors don't have access to rapid diagnostic tests for bacterial infections and instead review a patient's timeline of symptoms to determine ifbacteria are to blame.
If a doctor sees a sick child early on in their illness, they should wait a few days to rule out antibiotics. When dealing with uncertainty about a child's diagnosis, physicians may still reach for an antibiotic just in case.
Dr. William Schaffner told Live Science that antibiotics can only cause problems for patients with no infections.
Drugs can cause side effects, such as skin rash, and disrupt the communities ofbacteria that live in the gut, which can raise the risk of later disease. Schaffner said that the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs can be traced back to the over use of antibiotics.
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