PMID: 12754426May 20, 2003Paper

Antibiotic therapy in the elderly: features and problems

Le infezioni in medicina : rivista periodica di eziologia, epidemiologia, diagnostica, clinica e terapia delle patologie infettive
Michele RussoErsilia Ambrosino

Abstract

Bacterial infections cause 30% of deaths in the elderly and are the most frequent cause of hospitalization in elderly patients. Diagnosis of infection can be difficult because aged patients may have neither fever nor leucocytosis; most patients present unusual symptoms such as changes in mental status. The clinician must be cognizant of the frequent noncompliance with drug regimens because lack of elderly adherence to a prescribed antibiotic therapy has the potential to result in treatment failure and to foster the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. Elderly frequently are taking other drugs such as antiarrhythmics and antihypertensives; ignorance of potential antibiotic-drug interaction can result in ineffective treatment or enhanced toxicity. Aging is associated with changes in physiological processes; the age-related decline in renal function influences the excretion of some antibiotics (aminoglycosides, vancomycin, ofloxacin). The increased potential for toxicity of antimicrobial agents requires a careful drug selection as well as clinical and laboratory monitoring. The most frequent infections occurring in the elderly are pneumonia, urinary tract infection, intra-abdominal infection and soft tissue infection; prevalence ...Continue Reading

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