[Antibiotic use: excesses and consequences].

Antibiotic use in France is excessive. This statement is regularly expressed. The comparison with usage in other European countries, the frequency of use in viral infections, the misuse, specifically in the duration of treatment is easy proof of this. However, does this excessive use really have negative consequences in terms of public health? Yes, through the development of antibiotic resistance in hospital bacteria and also in the community. The phenomenon of selection has been amplified as much in the hospital as in the community due to the increase in antibiotic use. It has been a problem that has been neglected for a long time due to the regular release of new antibiotics with better performance onto the market. More than ever, as with any side effect, it has to be taken into account with each prescription of an antibiotic. It encourages the development of a reservoir of resistant bacteria and creates a collective medical risk of the appearance of infections for which the choice of treatment is at best restricted and costly, and at worst inexistent.