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No. [1] The article makes the case for prescribing shorter courses of antibiotics for some infections, and they're probably right. You would need to show there

by epakai 6y ago

No. [1] The article makes the case for prescribing shorter courses of antibiotics for some infections, and they're probably right. You would need to show there is more harm from obeying doctor's orders before you write an absurd headline like this that leads people to second-guess medical advice for little good. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...

jlmorton 6y ago
No, it makes the case for not finishing the course. It literally concludes with: > The time has come to challenge the maxim “finish the course.” The article says more research is needed, but suggests patients, perhaps in consultation with their doctors, should discontinue use when they feel better.
- pdonis 6y ago
  > it makes the case for not finishing the course. It literally concludes with: > The time has come to challenge the maxim “finish the course.” The fact that the article claims that it has made a case for not telling patients to finish the course does not mean that claim is correct. It isn't. > The article says more research is needed, but suggests patients, perhaps in consultation with their doctors, should discontinue use when they feel better. And, as others have already pointed out upthread, this suggestion is not justified by the research discussed in the article. What is justified by that research is prescribing shorter courses of certain antibiotics when a shorter course has been shown to be sufficient for those particular antibiotics for the particular infection being treated. But that is not at all an argument for not telling the patient to finish the course that has been prescribed. In fact it's an argument against it, since the whole point of prescribing a specific course for a specific time is that that is the time that has been scientifically shown to be sufficient. Stopping the prescribed course early just because you feel better, even if it's in consultation with the doctor, goes against the actual science. What the actual science says is to take the specific circumstances into account when prescribing a course of antibiotics in the first place.
- blendergeek 6y ago
  > No, it makes the case for not finishing the course. It literally concludes with: "The time has come to challenge the maxim 'finish the course.'" Yes, it does conclude with that statement. However, little in the article supports the notion that patients should be second guessing medical doctors. Rather, the article provides some evidence that current dosing is wrong and shorter courses would be better.
rossdavidh 6y ago
The intended target of the article appears to be medical professionals.

by epakai 6y ago

jlmorton 6y ago

No, it makes the case for not finishing the course. It literally concludes with: > The time has come to challenge the maxim “finish the course.” The article says more research is needed, but suggests patients, perhaps in consultation with their doctors, should discontinue use when they feel better.

pdonis 6y ago
> it makes the case for not finishing the course. It literally concludes with: > The time has come to challenge the maxim “finish the course.” The fact that the article claims that it has made a case for not telling patients to finish the course does not mean that claim is correct. It isn't. > The article says more research is needed, but suggests patients, perhaps in consultation with their doctors, should discontinue use when they feel better. And, as others have already pointed out upthread, this suggestion is not justified by the research discussed in the article. What is justified by that research is prescribing shorter courses of certain antibiotics when a shorter course has been shown to be sufficient for those particular antibiotics for the particular infection being treated. But that is not at all an argument for not telling the patient to finish the course that has been prescribed. In fact it's an argument against it, since the whole point of prescribing a specific course for a specific time is that that is the time that has been scientifically shown to be sufficient. Stopping the prescribed course early just because you feel better, even if it's in consultation with the doctor, goes against the actual science. What the actual science says is to take the specific circumstances into account when prescribing a course of antibiotics in the first place.
blendergeek 6y ago
> No, it makes the case for not finishing the course. It literally concludes with: "The time has come to challenge the maxim 'finish the course.'" Yes, it does conclude with that statement. However, little in the article supports the notion that patients should be second guessing medical doctors. Rather, the article provides some evidence that current dosing is wrong and shorter courses would be better.

rossdavidh 6y ago

The intended target of the article appears to be medical professionals.