CHICAGO (AP) - A new study suggests the overuse of antibiotics in dementia patients could be contributing to drug-resistant germs. And it's leading some to ask whether it's acceptable to withhold treatment that may have no effect anyway and allow people with the terminal illness to die.
In the study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, more than 200 people with advanced dementia were followed for 18 months. Almost half died before the study finished.
Researchers found 42 percent received antibiotics within two weeks of their deaths.
Antibiotic overuse spurs on the drug-resistant bugs and past studies have suggested that nursing homes are favored stomping grounds for the super germs.
The study's co-author says doctors should discuss antibiotics with family, just as they would discuss placing a feeding tube.
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