Prescription of antibiotics empirically is a balance between doing the job scientifically and doing it quickly. The hazards of prescribing empirically include:
Therefore, make a diagnosis, preferably a bacteriological one. Take specimens, if appropriate, and make a clinical diagnosis. The relevant section of the BNF and a local microbiology service will give the best bet of organism and the relevant antimicrobial therapy.
Therapy should be modified upon receipt of results of culture if appropriate.
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