Doctor prescribes antibiotics for whooping cough?!
Question: Doctor prescribes antibiotics for whooping cough?
I was taught that taking antibiotics was useless for colds and coughs and the like. So could someone please tell me why the doctor prescribed antibiotics (clarithromycin) for whooping cough? And why that particular brand of antibiotics instead of some random other type which does not cost as much, is a prettier colour than bright yellow and has a much nicer and easier to pronounce name?
Answers:
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You are correct in that antibiotics are useless against the common cold (they only work on bacterial infections). However, whooping cough is a bacterial infection and can be treated with antibiotics. Not all antibiotics are useful against a specific bacterial disease, what antibiotic is prescribed depends on the disease.
Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria. Antibiotics kill bacteria.
Colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics kill bacteria.
I'm not even going to answer the question about pretty colors or nice names.