Antibiotic-prescribing and antibiotic-resistance patterns among elderly citizens residing in two Nordic regions
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Helle Neel Jakobsen; Eva Melander; Emma Brogaard; Anne Thorsted; Lena Hyllebusk; Magnus Arpi; Katarina Hedin; Matilde Bøgelund Hansen; Frederik Boëtius Hertz; Jette Nygaard Jensen
- Source
- Hansen, M B, Arpi, M, Hedin, K, Melander, E, Hertz, F B, Thorsted, A B, Jakobsen, H N, Hyllebusk, L, Brogaard, E & Jensen, J N 2020, ' Antibiotic-prescribing and antibiotic-resistance patterns among elderly citizens residing in two Nordic regions ', Infectious Diseases, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 257-265 . https://doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2019.1711159
- Subject
- 0301 basic medicine
Microbiology (medical)
Male
antibiotic resistance
medicine.drug_class
Health Services for the Aged
Denmark
030106 microbiology
Antibiotics
Capital region
elderly
Drug Prescriptions
Antibiotic prescribing
antibiotic prescription
03 medical and health sciences
Antimicrobial Stewardship
0302 clinical medicine
Antibiotic resistance
Environmental health
Medicine
Antimicrobial stewardship
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Medical prescription
Antibiotic use
Practice Patterns, Physicians'
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Sweden
Urinary tract infection
General Immunology and Microbiology
business.industry
Soft Tissue Infections
Clindamycin
Drug Resistance, Microbial
General Medicine
skin and soft tissue infections
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Infectious Diseases
Urinary Tract Infections
Female
business
medicine.drug
- Language
- ISSN
- 2374-4243
Objective: The objective of this study was to compare antibiotic-prescribing rates in 2016 and antibiotic-resistance rates in 2017 among citizens aged ≥85 years between the Capital Region in Denmark and the Skåne Region in Sweden, with regards to overall antibiotic use and antibiotics of choice for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Methods: Inhabitants ≥85 year old on the date of prescription during 2016 and residing in the Capital Region or the Skåne Region were included for antibiotic-prescription analyses. Samples from 2017 from residents of the same regions who were ≥85 years old were included for antibiotic-resistance analyses. Antimicrobial use was determined according to the drugs of choice for UTIs and SSTIs in Denmark and Sweden. Students t-tests were used to compare antibiotic prescribing while a Chi-Squared test was performed to compare antibiotic resistance. Results: There was a significantly higher overall prescription rate among citizens ≥85 years in the Capital Region than in the Skåne Region. The same pattern was evident for the antibiotics of choice for UTIs and SSTIs except for clindamycin. Antibiotic resistance against all antibiotics included was more prominent in the Capital Region than in the Skåne Region. Conclusion: Considerable variation in antibiotic prescribing and resistance exists among elderly citizens between these two adjacent Nordic regions. Information and reflection on current practices and resistance patterns may direct attention towards antimicrobial stewardship as a higher priority and may help inform and motivate prescribing behaviours.