Think twice before prescribing antibiotics, doctors warned
Friday 18th November 2011
Nurses and those in hospital doctor jobs are being asked to think twice before prescribing antibiotics due to fears that patients could become immune to the life saving drugs.
The Department of Health-issued advice, called Start Smart, Then Focus, offers best practice advice on antimicrobial prescribing.
It is intended to ensure that patients receive the right dose of the right drug at the right time. It will also offer guidance on the length of course of treatment and inappropriate usage of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Concerns have been raised about patients becoming immune to antibiotics, with some of the drugs already becoming less effective because the bacteria they are meant to tackle has become resistant to them.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer, explained: "Many antibiotics are currently prescribed and used when they don't need to be - meaning antibiotics lose their effectiveness at a rapidly increasing rate.
"It is important we use antibiotics in the right way if we are to get the best outcome for the patient, slow down resistance and make sure these important medicines continue to stay effective for ourselves and for future generations."
This comes ahead of European Antibiotic Awareness Day, taking place on November 18th, which is designed to encourage the responsible use of antibiotics.
According to the Department of Health, the increase in antibiotic resistance is a major concern, which needs global action in order to slow down this resistance.
This follows a study conducted at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, which revealed that using antibiotics to tackle hospital-born infections such as C. difficile could increase the risk of patients contracting infections during surgery.
Patients who underwent a standard procedure to diagnose prostate cancer developed five times as many infective complications if they had been treated with the standard antibiotic regime.
In the worst cases, patients contracted sepsis, while one experienced septic shock.
Posted by Alex Franklin Stortford
Related articles
Cancer risk can be increased by snoring
Snoring has been highlighted as an unlikely cause for increasing the risk of cancer, new research has revealed. A team from the...
Monday 21st May 2012
National falls strategy could reduce incidents by...
A strategy between health authorities across the UK could help reduce the problem of falls in the elderly. The NHS Confederation&...
Thursday 10th May 2012
Persistent cough could be a sign of lung cancer
Having a persistent cough could be a sign that a person has lung cancer, according to a new advertising campaign from the...
Tuesday 8th May 2012
Related Hospital-Doctors Jobs
Hospice Physician / GP Middlesbrough Permanent - Part-time Salary £40000-45000 Hospice Physician / GP Middlesbrough...
Full infoWe are always on the look out for experienced Hospital Doctors who are considering the locum path.Interested in working in the North...
Full infoClinical Fellow in PICM and Paeds Retrieval Job West Midlands Salary £58000 to £74000A Clinical fellow is required in Paediatric...
Full info