Health · Medical Research · 6 hrs ago
Survey finds many US adults lie to get antibiotics
Nearly 30% of US adults surveyed said they lied or exaggerated symptoms to try to get antibiotics from doctors.
A separate survey found about one-quarter of children's caregivers said they had lied about a child's symptoms to obtain the drugs.
The surveys cover people in the United States and their interactions with doctors.
Some people reportedly fabricated symptoms, while others made real symptoms sound worse.
The symptoms described may point to infections antibiotics do not treat, according to the reported findings.
The surveys do not say what steps, if any, will follow.
Nearly 30% of US adults surveyed said they had lied to doctors by exaggerating or fabricating symptoms to obtain antibiotics.
In a second survey, about one-quarter of children’s caregivers said they had lied about a child’s symptoms to get antibiotics.
The findings come from two surveys described by Live Science.
The survey results suggest some patients misrepresent symptoms when seeking antibiotics.
- Who
- US adults and caregivers of children who responded to surveys.
- What
- Some respondents said they misrepresented symptoms to obtain antibiotics.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- The surveys concerned people in the United States.
- Why
- Respondents said they lied or exaggerated symptoms to get antibiotics.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
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- US adults
- Nearly 30% reported lying to obtain antibiotics
- Children’s caregivers
- About one-quarter reported lying about their children’s symptoms
- Number of surveys
- Two
3 sources
What people are saying
As clinicians, we know that patients lie to us sometimes,