Reason To Test To Avoid Inappropriate Antibiotic Use

Reason To Test To Avoid Inappropriate Antibiotic Use

A new study recently released in Gut (a BMJ publication) and covered in Medscape examined the relationship of frequency of antibiotic use to onset of colorectal cancer. Evaluation of 1195 cases showed that:

  • Women aged 20-39 who used antibiotics for 2 months or longer were 36% more likely to develop colorectal adenocarcinoma.
  • Women aged 40-59 who used antibiotics for 2 months or longer were 69% more likely to develop colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Compared to non-users, women aged 20-59 who used antibiotics for 15 days or longer were 73% more likely to develop such cancers.

The basis of the study revolves around the predict interactions of the antibiotic with the native gut microbiome, and the subsequent alterations thereof. The findings in the present study supported conclusions from previous works.

The original article can be found by clicking here.

While the scope of the cited study is limited, it still shows the dangers of antibiotic overuse. NextGen labs offers a series of rapid pathogen detection tests that can identify the infectious agents in a clinical case so that an antibiotic can be properly administered or avoided.