There’s little/no data about the necessary
length of an antibiotic course, nor has it proven that stopping a
course of antibiotics early selects for the most resistant
bugs.
There’s little incentive for drug companies to
fund this type of study.
Pro-calcitonin levels have been used in some
settings to distinguish if an infection has resolved or not, but
this may not be feasible in an outpatient setting.
References:Llewelyn, Martin J et al. The antibiotic course
has had its day. 2017. BMJ
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