Withholding Antibiotic Therapy for Treatment of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria with AMS

The nursing home industry continues to be challenged to shift practices around antibiotic prescribing and utilizing current research findings to inform best practices. 

A recently published study by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), Bacteremia From a Presumed Urinary Source in Hospitalized Adults With Asymptomatic Bacteriuria, reinforces current principles of antibiotic stewardship. The study found that the risk for a patient diagnosed with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) of developing bacteremia from the urinary source was low (less than 2%), and this included those with altered mental status (AMS). Guidelines recommend withholding antibiotics for ASB, including those with AMS and no systemic signs of infection; yet, treatment of ASB with antibiotics remains common practice. 

Read more in the JAMA article HERE!