Common antibiotic found to reduce infection in dialysis patients

Common antibiotic found to reduce infection in dialysis patients

Private health care patients in need of dialysis could be protected from infection by a common antibiotic.
A study at Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana in Brazil, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, looked at how to stop infection from being passed on via catheters to patients while the equipment is 'locked' to stop blood clots forming.
Dr Rodrigo Peixoto Campos and his colleagues compared heparin, which is currently used by medics, with a solution of minocycline (commonly used to treat acne) and the chemical EDTA.
They discovered that bacterial infections were less likely to set in when using the minocycline than they were when patients were given heparin.
"A catheter lock solution of minocycline-EDTA may be the next step to reduce this major complication, without the apprehension of developing bacterial resistance to systemic antibiotics," said Dr Campos.
According to the NHS, 15,000 people are currently being given haemodialysis, while a further 5,000 are given peritoneal dialysis.

Posted By Simon Thompson on Fri 19th August 2011 11:55:06

http://www.usaycompare.co.uk/health-insurance-news/article/common-antibiotic-found-to-reduce-infection-in-dialysis-patients-800705045