Antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections in primary care

Primary care is increasingly becoming the focus of antimicrobial stewardship in the fight against the global crisis of antibiotic resistance. This is where the greatest tonnage of antibiotics is prescribed—perhaps three quarters of all used in medical care. Respiratory tract infections are the group of infections most commonly treated with antibiotics, principally made up of otitis media, sore throat, cough (“acute bronchitis”), rhinosinusitis, and undifferentiated infections.