Need for new oral antibiotics more important than ever,

A recent national study has revealed that as much as 50% of complicated urinary tract infections are resistant to at least one antibiotic. Investigators analyzed 2013-2018 national Premier Healthcare Database records with a focus on patients who had cUTIs caused by the Enterobacterales bacteria.

As people age, the risks go up. UTIs are one of the most common infections found in nursing homes and can prove deadly in the elderly and infirm. Complicated UTIs are associated with patient risk factors that increase the chances of poor outcomes and failing antibiotic therapy.

Commonly used oral antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones, nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), and third-generation cephalosporins had high rates of resistance.

According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, 40%-50% of patients admitted to the emergency department with UTIs in each U.S. census region were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 10%-18% were resistant to two or more. Of those patients, those admitted to the hospital had even higher resistance rates.

The data indicates that with such high rates of resistance, new antibiotics are needed, in addition to additional research. “At SpecialtyRx we keep current with the newest innovations and news in the pharmaceutical industry so we can provide our clients with the best treatments available,” stated Saba Ansari, Pharm.D – Operations Specialist.