Portal de Murcia
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Emilio Fernández Varón, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Murcia (UMU), leads a collaboration with the Hospital Mesa del Castillo to improve the quality of life of the elderly.
To do this, they study the pharmacokinetic behavior of the antibiotics ceftriaxone, cefuroxime and levofloxacin in people older than 75-80 years, a field where there are hardly any national or international publications.
The investigation includes two parts in which the concentrations of these antimicrobials are measured: the one performed in situ during the surgical operations (hip and knee prostheses);
and, in the internal medicine service, when intravenous therapy is required for infections, usually respiratory or urinary.
In both cases, after the analyzes in the laboratories of the UMU, it is determined if the dose is correct and how much is needed.
In this sense, the results obtained confirm that in the case of patients with some degree of renal insufficiency or respiratory infection, they always require an adjustment of the dose.
On the other hand, UMU experts have discovered that a second dose of antibiotic prophylaxis is not necessary in prosthetic operations, a finding contrary to what international guidelines recommend.
Fernández Varón clarifies that "adjusting the amounts prevents overdosing, results in toxicity in the form of vomiting, dizziness or gastrointestinal problems, such as underdosing that does not solve the infection."
"Another drawback is the uniformity in national and international protocols, treating in the same way a person of 67 years than a person of 98 years", specifies the researcher.
The issue is amplified by the polypharmacy of patients and the increase in resistance to antibiotics, a concern for the collaborating center, which specializes in the elderly, which has seen the life expectancy of its clients progressively increase.
Therefore, Begoña Mora Pérez, medical director, highlights the cooperation between universities and medical centers to generate scientific-based actions that impact on the quality of life of the elderly.
Likewise, during the four years that the project has been underway, Final Degree Thesis (TFG) of the degree in Pharmacy within the same has been carried out.
In this way, knowledge transfer closes reaching the teaching plane, it is the students who contribute to improving the lives of their 'grandparents'.
In this cooperation example, the UMU has had hospital staff: Begoña Mora, Francisca Gonzalez, Blanca Robles, Lorenzo Martinez, Francisco Martinez, Carmen Gonzalez and Marifran Sánchez.
Likewise, the center has obtained the QH Accreditation of excellence in healthcare quality.
Specifically, it is the UNE-EN-ISO 179006 standard, referring to the system for surveillance, prevention and control of infections.
Source: Universidad de Murcia
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