(Photo credit: Brandon Giesbrecht/Flickr)
When we’re sick, it’s become the norm to take antibiotics, which are used to fight off bacterial infections.
These were once thought to be a good way to fight off infections, but their overuse in some Ontario nursing homes is dangerous for all residents, according to a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
“Antibiotics are frequently and often inappropriately prescribed to patients in nursing homes. These antibiotics pose direct risks to recipients and indirect risks to others residing in the home,” according to the study.
Adverse events caused by antibiotics can include Clostridium difficile, diarrhea or gastroenteritis, antibiotic-resistant organisms in those who received antibiotics and those who didn’t, allergic reactions, and general medication adverse events for those who received the antibiotics.
The study found that for every 1,000 days a resident stayed in a nursing home, they were prescribed antibiotics on an average of 55 days during that timeframe. Nursing homes prescribed antibiotics at different rates with a low prescription rate of 20.4 days per 1,000 days of stay to a high prescription rate of 192.9 days per 1,000 days of stay.
Nursing homes with high use of antibiotics saw residents experiencing more antibiotic-related adverse events (13.3 per cent) compared to 11.4 per cent of residents experiencing these events in low-use homes. These same statistics also applied to residents who didn’t receive antibiotic treatments.
The study analyzes antibiotic use among 110,656 seniors living in 607 Ontario nursing homes from January 2010 to December 2011.
Some of the most common reasons for prescribing antibiotics in nursing homes includes penicillin, second-generation fluoroquinolones, Sulfonamides, Nitrofurantoin and first-generation cephalosporins, according to lead author Dr. Nick Daneman, an internal medicine physician at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
The study recommends that antibiotic stewardship, which coordinates the appropriate use of antibiotics, will improve the safety of all nursing home residents.
“Antibiotic stewardship should be a shared concern of not only healthcare workers but also patients and their families,” Dr. Daneman told Reuters. “Family members and patients should be aware that more antibiotic use is not always better, and should ask their doctor to make sure the treatments are needed, chosen appropriately, and prescribed for the necessary length of time.”
It’s important that nursing home residents and their loved ones feel confident in a facility’s ability to care for its residents. There’s been unfortunate reports from some nursing homes, such as their high reliance on antipsychotic drugs to manage the behaviour of dementia patients, frequent violations and elder abuse.
The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers can help ensure that long-term care home residents are receiving proper care. They have been handling all types of injuries for over 45 years. We understand the impacts wrongful death can have on your life and we know how to help you. Call us at 416-920-4242. Set up a free consultation and come talk with us.
Greg Neinstein
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