A recent trial conducted by researchers has discovered the duration of antibiotics to treat complicated abdominal infections can be cut in half while remaining efficient, according to Medical Xpress.
Here are six facts to note:
1. With 300,000 cases of appendicitis in the nation each year and at least 600,000 other types of abdominal infection, it is imperative for physicians to have reliable information concerning effective and conservative antibiotic treatment.
2. Guidelines pertaining to antibiotic treatment advocate for four to seven days, although many physicians continue to administer antibiotics for 10 to 14 days.
3. Christopher Guidry, MD, of the UVA department of surgery, states antibiotics may have negative consequences such as the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance.
4. The researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and 22 other institutions observed infection treatment that was once the source of infection addressed, such as the removal of an inflamed appendix.
5. The trial observed 517 patients in the United States and Canada suffering from abdominal infection with the findings proving administering antibiotics after symptoms subsided for a mere two days was equally effective as a four-day treatment period.
6. Sarah Dunsmore, PhD, funded the trial and stated this finding is pertinent for patients at risk of developing sepsis.
For more articles on infection control:
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