Research Cautions Against Rising Antibiotic Use in Young Adults
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Synopsis
A recent study indicates that younger adults are being prescribed antibiotics without adequate risk assessments, which could lead to serious antibiotic resistance issues.
Key Takeaways
- Younger patients are more frequently prescribed antibiotics.
- There is a lack of risk assessment for antibiotic prescriptions.
- Older patients are often overlooked for antibiotics.
- AMR poses a significant threat to public health.
- Improving risk-based prescribing is crucial.
New Delhi, April 4 (NationPress) A recent study highlights that younger individuals are increasingly receiving antibiotic prescriptions without adequate evaluation of the risks of complications, raising concerns about potential antibiotic resistance.
The research, conducted by epidemiologists at the University of Manchester, UK, indicates that healthcare providers are prescribing antibiotics to tens of thousands of patients with infections while showing minimal consideration for prognosis and the likelihood of the infection deteriorating.
Analyzing a total of 15.7 million patient records, the study found that the oldest patients in the cohort were 31% less likely than the youngest to be prescribed antibiotics for upper respiratory infections.
This suggests that “many younger individuals are being given antibiotics, even when they are often capable of recovering without them, which may contribute to resistance,” the researchers noted in their publication in the esteemed Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
In contrast, many older patients who may lack the ability to combat infections without antibiotics are not receiving them, which raises the risk of complications and potential hospital admissions.
Patients with multiple health conditions were 7% less likely to receive antibiotics for upper respiratory infections compared to those without significant health issues.
The findings also indicated that the likelihood of being given antibiotics for lower respiratory tract or urinary tract infections was not related to the risk of hospital admission. Conversely, the chance of receiving an antibiotic for an upper respiratory tract infection was only weakly connected to the risk of hospital admission.
“While antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections, their misuse can lead to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and a reduction in effectiveness. This is why AMR has been identified as one of the most significant threats to global public health,” stated lead author Professor Tjeerd van Staa from the University of Manchester.
“The research indicates that the prescription of antibiotics for common infections does not correlate with complication risks, which suggests ample opportunity to enhance antibiotic prescribing practices,” van Staa further commented.
Dr. Ali Fahmi from the university called on clinicians to prioritize risk-based antibiotic prescribing for less severe infections that are typically self-limiting.
