A report in the Archives of Internal Medicine has found that the use of anti-bacterial drugs is increasing, which also increases the risk that bacteria will become resistant to the drugs.
The report used validated claims data from 22 university teaching hospitals. What the researchers found was that per 1,000 patient days, the number of days of anti-bacterial therapy increased from 798 in 2002 to 855 in 2006.
Researchers also discovered that vancomycin, which is usually considered an antibiotic of last resort, had become the most commonly used anti-bacterial drug in the hospitals studied between 2004 and 2006. Its use increased 43 percent from 2002 to 2006.
To learn more about the study:
-read this Modern Healthcare piece