Can patients with influenza take cephalosporins?
Influenza refers to the flu, and "cephalosporin" refers to cephalosporin antibiotics. Generally, patients with influenza should not take cephalosporin antibiotics. If necessary, it is recommended to consult a doctor. Detailed explanation is as follows:
The primary function of cephalosporin antibiotics is to inhibit or kill bacteria, but they have no direct inhibitory or killing effect on viruses. Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the influenza virus, therefore cephalosporin antibiotics cannot effectively treat the influenza virus. If patients with influenza blindly take cephalosporin antibiotics, their condition may not be alleviated.
Additionally, inappropriate use of cephalosporin antibiotics may cause imbalance in the body's microbial flora and increase the risk of bacterial resistance. If bacteria develop resistance, the effectiveness of drugs in treating infections caused by these resistant bacteria may be reduced. Therefore, for viral diseases like influenza, antibiotics should be avoided for treatment.
During flu season or periods of high incidence, try to avoid going to crowded or poorly ventilated places to reduce the chance of virus exposure.