20 July 2006

Preliminary research by the National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) in 2005 suggested nearly 1 in 2 respondents from children’s services held at least one common misconception about the role of antibiotics in treating common colds.¹ For example, 1 in 3 (29%) thought antibiotics can stop a cold from getting worse and one in six thought they help you recover faster.

In fact, antibiotics work on bacteria, not the viruses which cause common colds. Using antibiotics when they are not needed contributes to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance, making antibiotics less effective when they really are needed.

Another misconception among children services staff is the belief that green or yellow mucus from the nose means a child’s cold is getting worse, often resulting in exclusion from child care.¹ However, the presence of green or yellow mucus is actually a sign the child’s immune system is fighting the infection.

According to Dr Lynn Weekes, NPS CEO, children services staff need to understand there is no advantage in using antibiotics for treating common colds, and they need to be vigilant about infection control at their centres during winter to help prevent the spread of colds among children.

“Children’s services have an ideal opportunity to remind parents about practicing good hygiene in the home to minimise the spread of common colds in the family. The correct hand washing technique is to wash with soap for 10 seconds and rinse for 10 seconds, then dry your hands,” said Dr Weekes.

Antibiotics won’t help a child’s common cold get better faster, won’t stop it from getting worse and won’t stop it from spreading to other children. Antibiotics only work on bacteria, not the viruses which cause common colds. Common colds usually get better on their own within 5-7 days,” she said.

This winter, NPS is running its sixth common colds need common sense campaign, which aims to reduce the use of antibiotics for common colds and helps address antibiotic resistance - identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a priority worldwide problem.²

Staff information sessions are underway from 10-28 July 2006. Over 450 children’s services across Australia are updating their knowledge on how to minimise the spread of common colds among children and how to provide support to parents in managing their child’s common cold symptoms.

The common colds need common sense, they don’t need antibiotics brochure explains the limited role of antibiotics for treating colds and advises on treating symptoms. Children’s services staff can display the brochures on notice boards or sign-in areas, give the brochures to parents in enrolment packages and include the NPS articles in newsletters for parents. Staff can access campaign resources, including articles for parent newsletters, Harvey children’s stickers and a Harvey screensaver, via the NPS website at www.nps.org.au.

ENDS

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is a member-based organisation providing accurate, balanced, evidence-based information and services to health professionals and the community on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM).

^{1 NPS survey of child care organisations. Sydney: NPS, August 2005. (unpublished report)}

^{2 Kaplan W. Laing R. Priority medicines for Europe and the world. Geneva; WHO, November 2004. http://mednet3.who.int/prioritymeds/report/final18october.pdf (date accessed 6 July 2006)}