The World Health Organization has announced that Antibiotic resistance poses a major threat to global health, food security, and development. Infections such as salmonellosis, gonorrhea, pneumonia, and tuberculosis are becoming more challenging to treat as the effectiveness of antibiotics decreases.

Researchers from Flinders University and SAHMRI emphasize the urgent need for cautious antibiotic administration in residential aged care facilities to protect senior citizens from the development of “superbugs,” or antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can be fatal( 1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Exposure to doxycycline increases risk of carrying a broad range of enteric antimicrobial resistance determinants in an elderly cohort

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A new study published in the Journal of Infection investigates the connection between widespread antibiotic use in residential aged care and the resulting antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the gut, which can be transmitted to other residents.

Lead author and PhD student Sophie Miller explains that commonly used tablet antibiotics in the elderly lead to different types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the gut, known as ‘superbugs,’ which can increase resistance to other crucial, life-saving antibiotics.

Challenge of Antibiotic Resistance in Old Age

The high rates of antibiotic prescriptions in elderly care settings are likely contributing to the spread of these bacteria, leading to longer hospital stays, increased medical expenses, and higher death rates.

This trend not only undermines the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment but also poses a significant risk of treatment failures in an already vulnerable community.

“Responding effectively to the global health threat of antibiotic resistance requires a detailed understanding of the influence and impact of antibiotic prescribing patterns,” says Sophie Miller.

The researchers analyzed stool samples collected from 164 residents from five long-term aged care facilities in South Australia to learn more about the genes carried by their gut bacteria that lead to antibiotic resistance.

Selective Antibiotic Prescriptions

“We discovered that an antibiotic commonly prescribed to aged care residents was strongly associated with an increase in resistance to other antibiotics the resident had not been prescribed,” she says.

Alarmingly, research revealed nearly all participants carried these resistant genes without displaying any symptoms, raising significant concerns for this particularly vulnerable demographic.

“Our findings suggest that even antibiotics that are not typically associated with major modifications in gut bacteria can significantly escalate the presence of resistance genes,” says Miller.

Senior author Professor Geraint Rogers, Director of the Microbiome and Host Health Program at SAHMRI and Matthew Flinders Fellow in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University, says the implications of this study extend beyond individual patient care.

“As the population ages and life expectancy extends, the implications of our findings emphasise the importance of a holistic approach to antibiotic management in long-term aged care settings,” says Professor Rogers.

“There are concerns that practitioners may be overprescribing antibiotics, potentially increasing the risk of resistant bacterial infections, and this study’s findings suggest a need for extra caution when prescribing them for older patients.”

Reference:

1. Exposure to doxycycline increases risk of carrying a broad range of enteric antimicrobial resistance determinants in an elderly cohort – (https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(24)00177-4/fulltext)

Source-Eurekalert