Respiratory infections in childhood : to use antibiotics or not?

Abstract

Respiratory tract infections are the most common infections of childhood but are, in the main, caused by common viruses and result in a relatively benign course. The great majority can be managed by simple, supportive measures. Recourse to antibiotics is often unnecessary and, indeed, encourages antibiotic resistance that is fast becoming the greatest microbiological challenge of the 21st century. This article will outline the key features of common childhood respiratory infections and indicate the appropriateness, or otherwise, of antibiotics for each individual infection.