New study finds that antibiotics are being overused in patients undergoing common urological procedures, which may expose the patients to potential harm including a higher risk of infection by C. difficile bacteria. The findings of the study are published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Antibiotics are being overused in patients undergoing common urological procedures, which exposes them to potential harm including an increased risk of infection by C. difficile bacteria, researchers warned.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are among the most used and abused medications. This article explains some general features about antibiotics.
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‘Nearly 60 percent of patients were prescribed antibiotics in a way that did not follow the American Urological Association guidelines. Future antimicrobial stewardship interventions should target the postprocedural period with the goal of decreasing unnecessary antimicrobial use.’
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Clostridium difficile, often called C. difficile, is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to potentially fatal inflammation of the colon.
The study showed that almost 60 percent of patients were prescribed antibiotics in a way that did not follow the American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines, which recommends that antibiotics should be given for no more than 24 hours following most urological procedures.
![Interaction of Antibiotics with Dairy Products]( "Interaction of Antibiotics with Dairy Products")
Antibiotics like tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones used in the treatment of bacterial infections interact mainly with dairy products and lead to adverse side effects.
"This study shows that antibiotics are often continued for several days after common urologic procedures, even when there is no clear indication for antibiotics," said lead author Daniel Livorsi from the University of Iowa in the US.
"Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in this setting is just one example of how physicians can be better stewards of antibiotics," said Livorsi.
It is common for patients undergoing a urological or any other surgical procedure to be given antibiotics as a precaution to prevent a surgery-related infection. However, overuse of antibiotics can promote antibiotic resistance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the study, the researchers investigated whether urologists are following the AUA guidelines for prescribing antibiotics. They manually reviewed the medical records of 375 patients who had one of three common urological procedures.
The findings showed that 217 patients (58 percent) were prescribed antibiotics in a way that did not follow the AUA guidelines.
The most common deviation from the guidelines involved antibiotic-prescribing after the procedure: 211 patients (56 percent) were given antibiotics for longer than 24 hours following a procedure, the team said.
Patients were often given antibiotics for three to five days following a procedure instead of the 24 hours or less that the guidelines recommend, the team added.
The study did not investigate why urologists are prescribing antibiotics for longer than recommended after a procedure.
Source: IANS
Interaction of Antibiotics with Dairy Products
Antibiotics like tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones used in the treatment of bacterial infections interact mainly with dairy products and lead to adverse side effects.
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"This study shows that antibiotics are often continued for several days after common urologic procedures, even when there is no clear indication for antibiotics," said lead author Daniel Livorsi from the University of Iowa in the US.
"Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in this setting is just one example of how physicians can be better stewards of antibiotics," said Livorsi.
It is common for patients undergoing a urological or any other surgical procedure to be given antibiotics as a precaution to prevent a surgery-related infection. However, overuse of antibiotics can promote antibiotic resistance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the study, the researchers investigated whether urologists are following the AUA guidelines for prescribing antibiotics. They manually reviewed the medical records of 375 patients who had one of three common urological procedures.
The findings showed that 217 patients (58 percent) were prescribed antibiotics in a way that did not follow the AUA guidelines.
The most common deviation from the guidelines involved antibiotic-prescribing after the procedure: 211 patients (56 percent) were given antibiotics for longer than 24 hours following a procedure, the team said.
Patients were often given antibiotics for three to five days following a procedure instead of the 24 hours or less that the guidelines recommend, the team added.
The study did not investigate why urologists are prescribing antibiotics for longer than recommended after a procedure.
Source: IANS
Natural Antibiotics to Fight Bacterial Infections
Fighting infections the natural way and preventing them is always more effective than consuming medicines and antibiotics to treat them.
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 High Usage of Antibiotics may Increase the Risk of Death in WomenWomen who regularly consume antibiotics may be at increased risk for death from heart disease. | Advertisement
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