Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSObese patients need higher doses of antibiotics
Obese patients may need higher doses of antibiotics to treat their symptoms effectively, doctors have said.
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In an editorial in The Lancet, doctors from Greece and the US argued that patients could become resistant to the drug if given a standard dose.
As the rate of obesity increases, they said further research was needed to help doctors understand how and when to modify doses.
A study found that the size and proportion of body fat may effect the concentration of antibiotics in the body, potentially reducing the effectiveness of the drug in larger patients.
And the risk of resistance to the drug increases if the patient continues to receive too small a dose to clear the infection, the doctors added.
Meanwhile, smaller patients may suffer more side effects if given the standard dose, the study found.
Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs said he would encourage “appropriate” prescribing of antibiotics as many patients were given them when they were not needed.
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