The analysis has shown that over 60 percent of the patients were given antibiotics and about 40 percent were given the medications in the last two weeks of their lives.
The authors state that quite seldom antibiotics were prescribed for diseases they are ineffective with. Moreover, even if the disease could be treated with an antibiotic the elderly and frail are far more sensitive and susceptible to side-effects delivered by these drugs. And the intravenous administration of antibiotics, which is pretty common with these patients, is proven to be extremely stressful.
But the risk of such widespread use of antibiotics is far more than just stress. Developing drug-resistant bacteria in such facilities can be a serious public health concerns. The study has found that about 40 percent of nursing home patients have possessed bacteria, which was resistant to common medications.
About a half of the antibiotic prescriptions were given out for respiratory infections, and over a third were for urinary tract diseases. Of the 99 patients who have passed away during the study, more than a half were given antibiotics in the last eight weeks of their lives. In commentaries accompanying the report there are suggestions that the doctors did not necessarily consider the effectiveness of such treatments when prescribing antibiotics.
Dr. Erika D?Agata, assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston stresses the importance of discussing such treatments with family members of the patients, for they are to decide whether it's necessary or not. Doctors should inform the family members of the possible burdens that the patient may deal with when taking antibiotics.
Generally there are two reasons for the doctors to prescribe antibiotics for nursing home patients: prolonging life and eliminating unpleasant symptoms. There is no clear data on the subject but from simple studies in nursing home it is clear that such treatments reach either of the goals quite rarely. The diseases are particularly painful in elderly patients, but there's no evidence that antibiotics provide the necessary relief like oxygen masks and painkillers.
Such practice raises the question of medical ethics but the researchers themselves agree that there isn't sufficient data and the study didn't take the types of drugs and exact dosage in the long run in consideration. Still, the relatives and caregivers of the patients should be aware of the risks their loved ones can face in nursing homes. Using extensively powerful antibiotics (Zithromax, Penicillin and others) in such close communities can aggravate the problem of local public health. And the usefulness of such a practice is still unclear, because the patients themselves cannot tell whether it's good for them or provides unnecessary discomfort. About Author
With over 10 years working as a professional journalist Donald Campbell has contributed many interesting materials to http://www.zithromax4u.com/use-of-antibiotics.html that many users around the globe regard as a benchmark for professional writing.
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