Increased use of 'last resort' antibiotics

DALLAS, April 6 (UPI) -- A study of Veterans Administration's acute care facilities indicates increased use of carbapenems, a powerful class of antibiotics, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Makoto Jones and colleagues used barcode medication administration data for antibiotics administered in 110 VA acute care facilities from 2005 to 2009.

In the five-year study period, there was a gradual increase in overall antibiotic use and a 102 percent increase in the use of carbapenems -- a powerful class of "last resort" antibiotics. The study found a 79 percent increase in the use of intravenous vancomycin and 41 percent increase combinations of penicillin with beta-lactamase-inhibitors. A 20 percent increase in fluoroquinolones were the most frequently used drugs across facilities.

Additionally, the researchers noted the quantity of antibiotics reported from VA facilities seems similar to reported data from non-VA hospitals in the United States.

"Use of these antibiotics helps the patient receiving the treatment, but has future consequences for innocent bystanders," Jones says in a statement.

"The more these drugs are used, the more resistance we see."

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America in Dallas.