and that nearly
25 percent of patients had self-treated an upper respiratory tract illness in the previous year with antibiotics left over from earlier infections.Studies have shown that the duration of office visits for acute respiratory infection is unchanged or only one minute longer when antibiotics are not prescribed.The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) does not recommend routine antibiotics for patients with acute bronchitis, and suggests that the reasoning for this be explained to patients because many expect a prescription.