CDC advises healthcare professionals on the use of antibiotics

The overuse of certain antibiotics could cause potentially fatal conditions for certain patients.

2014-04-05

April 05, 2014 (Press-News.org) Each time an individual is diagnosed with a specific medical condition, the treating physician will need to decide on an appropriate treatment plan. Because each person responds differently to this treatment, doctors and nurses must be sure to continually monitor the individual's progress. If the individual is not showing signs of improvement, changes may need to be made to ensure that the person is able to make a complete recovery.

In some situations, it may be necessary for patients to receive antibiotics to treat their illnesses, and this could cause potential problems. According to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), certain patients being prescribed antibiotics were developing serious infections due to the drugs. These medication errors led to severe health issues, and in some cases, even death.

Most of the individuals who developed the serious infections were suffering from urinary tract infections (UTIs). These patients were not always properly examined to determine the amount of the antibiotics that should be prescribed. Errors, such as over-prescription and unnecessary prescriptions were discovered in nearly one-third of the individuals in the survey that covered over 300 hospitals across the country.

Officials are concerned about these errors because it could potentially make the antibiotics less effective against superbugs. If these illnesses are unable to be treated by antibiotics, the infections could become much more dangerous over time.

The CDC has recommended that hospitals change the way that antibiotics are being administered to certain patients. Facilities should create a plan that carefully monitors patients to determine the drug's effectiveness. If changes in the treatment should be made, physicians should do so within 48 hours in order to improve the patient's chances of recovery.

If you believe you have an illness or injury that directly resulted from the care or treatment being provided by a healthcare professional, you should speak to an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney will need to begin investigating your case to learn about the procedures that were performed, and how these acts connect to the changes in your condition.

Many of these cases will necessitate the use of medical professionals to offer testimony on your behalf. This information can often be very complicated, and the ordinary person might have trouble understanding some of the things being said. You need to work with someone who knows how to present this information in a very easy to understand manner in order to be able to potentially be successful on your claims.

Article provided by The Mahoney Law Firm
Visit us at www.mahoneylaw.com

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