According to research carried out by University Medical Center Utrecht, patients with pneumonia can initially be treated with most common antibiotics, as they are just as effective as the more expensive alternatives. The fact that bacteria are less likely to become resistant to these beta-lactam antibiotics is an additional benefit.
“Dutch doctors already prescribe preferably beta-lactam for patients with non-hospital acquired pneumonia who are admitted to the nursing ward,” commented Marc Bonten, professor of molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases at UMC Utrecht and principal investigator of the study. “Although we do see a shift towards the use of broader drugs, this is a harmful development.”
The results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
