Hospitals’ antibiotic use on rise despite fears
Figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show that average antibiotic use rose between 2007 and 2014, from a value of 77.2 to 86, the values referring to the number of defined daily doses per 100 bed days used.
By contrast, antibiotic prescription by GPs and in other primary care settings has levelled off or, in the case of some antibiotics, decreased slightly.
HSE campaigns aimed at the general public and GPs try to discourage the prescribing of antibiotics for ailments that don’t warrant such treatment.
The website undertheweather.ie advises the public how to differentiate between bacterial conditions that can be treated by antibiotics and those caused by viruses which can not, and how long to persevere with an ailment before resorting to a GP. Another website, antibioticprescribing.ie, is aimed at GPs.
While these campaigns show signs of having an impact in the community, the figures relating to hospitals are causing concern, particularly as drug-resistant infections remain a major challenge.
While MRSA rates have fallen to their lowest since 1999, they remain among the highest in Europe and other infections are showing increasing resistance, including another bloodstream infection that can behave like MRSA but can also cause meningitis.
Figures for 2014 also show the number of E.coli infections was the highest since 2006; the percentage that were drug-resistant was the highest since 2002.
Progress was made with one form of pneumonia, in terms of the number of cases and proportion that were drug-resistant, although Ireland still has one of the highest rates in Europe.
The number of cases of another form of pneumonia rose, however, and the HPSC said its multi-drug resistance was becoming an increasing problem.
Dr Fidelma Fitzpatrick, a consultant microbiologist at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, said there had been an overall decrease in the average level of antibiotic use in hospitals in the first half of 2014, which was promising.
She said: “Inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA so it is important to continue monitoring this type of data both nationally and in each hospital.”
“Very few new antibiotics are being produced so it is important to use the antibiotics we have wisely.”
The HSE said: “The average level of antibiotic use in Irish hospitals has been increasing in recent years. Some of this is probably due to the increasing age of the Irish population, along with increased hospital activity.
“HSE has been taking a number of steps to promote more prudent use of antibiotics in hospitals. These include educational events, on-line training, and guidelines on appropriate antibiotic use for hospital-based doctors.”
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