New Test Helps Determine When Antibiotics Are Needed

One of the most pressing problems in infection care is the overuse of antibiotics, driven in part by doctors who inappropriately prescribe these drugs against viruses instead of the bacteria they're able to destroy. The misuse of antibiotics isn't intentional, but rather a response to not knowing the source of infections. Often, viruses and bacteria create identical symptoms -- fevers, sore throats, coughing -- without advertising their identity.