Study questions the prescription for drug resistance

[C C]

Study questions the prescription for drug resistance

"In response to the rise of drug-resistant pathogens, doctors are routinely cautioned against overprescribing antimicrobials. But when a patient has a confirmed bacterial infection, the advice is to treat aggressively to quash the infection before the bacteria can develop resistance. A new study questions the accepted wisdom that aggressive treatment with high drug dosages and long durations is always the best way to stem the emergence and spread of resistant pathogens. The review of nearly 70 studies of antimicrobial resistance, which was authored by researchers at Princeton and other leading institutions and published last week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals the lack of evidence behind the practice of aggressive treatment in many cases..."

[stryder]

Interesting article/topic.

I'd assume the following to be true:
The problem with the high dosages being used for initial treatment is that the physiology naturally responds both by resisting the initial problem and resisting the treatment. This will likely cause a change to the genetics of the person to resist both, which if assimilated into the bacteria or a virus turns it to being drug resistant.

It could be considered by observing the level of side-effects produced by a drug, the greater the side effects the more substantial impact that drug is having upon a persons physiology not just on whatever is being treated.  If the body is working hard to produce side effects then it's not optimised towards treatment.