Over-administering and overuse of antibiotics in nursing homes has led to the presence of superbugs, or antibiotic-resistant bacteria, in more than one third of nursing home residents in Australia, according to an ABC News report.
A study out of Monash University found that more than half of the infected patients had recently received antibiotics, proving the bugs impervious to the drugs and opening the possibility that they could be actually spawned from them.
The study warns that the increasing rate of antibiotic overuse could make the superbugs more widespread, according to ABC News.
“They aren’t the safety net that we think they are,” Monash professor Anton Peleg told the news. “They do have consequences and the consequences of overuse, or inappropriate use, is the development of these antibiotic resistant bacteria.”
Peleg warned that understaffing issues and service inadequacy problems lead to the increased dependence on antibiotics. Bacteria can live and foster in carpets, beds and other living conditions in nursing homes, where they are much more difficult to control. The preventive measures taken at hospitals are not practical in nursing homes, leaving patients highly susceptible.
“Our concern is that nursing homes are acting as a sort of reservoir, if you like, of antibiotic resistant bacteria,” he said.
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due neglect or abuse in a nursing home, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.