As age increases, older persons become less physically active, requiring special care in the use of drugs.
In the first place, older persons lose their muscles and muscle power, so-called “muscle decay”. At the same time, there has been a relative increase in adipose tissue, especially in abdominal fat piles. This change in body composition affects the distributional volume of the drug, as the different distribution of the drug in adipose and muscle tissues can lead to changes in the concentration of the drug in the body, thus affecting its efficacy and safety. Basic metabolic rates are reduced and body energy is reduced. The metabolism of nutrients such as sugar, fat and protein is also less powerful than that of young people. For example, the reduction in the sugar tolerance of older persons is prone to blood sugar abnormalities; blood resin metabolisms can also change, and lipid components such as cholesterol and triester in blood may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The immune function is reduced, the function of immune cells (e.g. T-cells, B-cells) is reduced and the immune response capacity is reduced. This increases the vulnerability of older persons to pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, and increases the recovery time after infection. At the same time, self-immunization may increase, i.e. the immune system wrongfully attacks its own organization and causes some self-immunizing diseases.
I. Pre-meditation care
(i) Detailed information on the doctor ‘ s status at the time of medical visit
Older persons should provide doctors with detailed health information, including past medical history, such as the availability of chronic liver and kidney disorders, heart disease and diabetes; and other drugs being taken, including prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, health-care products, etc., as there may be interactions between drugs that affect the efficacy of treatment or increase the risk of adverse effects.
(ii) Cooperate with the necessary medical examination
Doctors may arrange for a number of examinations, such as blood protocol, liver and kidney function tests, to determine if there is an infection and to assess the body ‘ s resistance to drugs. Older persons should cooperate actively so that doctors can select the type and dose of antibacterial drugs.
II. ELEMENTS IN THE USE OF Antibacterial Drugs
(i) Strict compliance with medical prescriptions
Antibacterial drugs are used at dosages, frequency and treatments prescribed by doctors. Do not increase or stop the drug, and a lack of it may lead to a failure to cure the infection and trigger resistance, while overdose increases the burden on the body and triggers adverse reactions. For example, the use of antibacterial head saps should be strictly timed, even if the symptoms are mitigated.
(ii) Concern about the adverse effects of drugs
Older persons are more sensitive to adverse drug responses. During the use of anti-bacterial drugs, physical changes are observed. In the event of symptoms of discomfort such as rash, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness or inactivity, the family should be immediately informed and the doctor contacted. Gastrointestinal reaction or central nervous system symptoms may occur when antibacterial drugs such as quinone are used, and should be treated in a timely manner if anomalies are detected.
(iii) Methods of use of special formulation types
Some of the antibacterial drugs have special formulations, such as intestinal solvents, slow release sheets, etc. The intestinal slurry requires a whole piece of ingestion, which cannot be crushed or broken to prevent the destruction of the drug ‘ s structure from affecting the therapeutic effects or irritating the gastric mucous membranes; the slow slurry should also be swallowed as a whole in order to ensure that the slow release of the drug has long effects.
III. Post-pharmaceutical observation and response
(i) Observation of the effects of treatment
After the medicine, care is taken to see whether the symptoms are improving, e.g., whether the fever is subdued, cough is reduced, pain is reduced, etc. If the symptoms within the prescribed course of treatment are not expected to improve or, on the contrary, are aggravated, they should be remitted in time for the doctor to adjust the treatment programme.
(ii) Timely check-ups
Upon completion of the course of treatment for antibacterial drugs, the consultations are resumed on time as required by the doctor. Doctors generally conduct relevant examinations, such as routine blood review, inflammation indicator testing, etc., to determine whether the infection has been completely eliminated, to assess the impact of the drug on physical indicators such as liver and kidney function, and to detect and address in a timely manner possible adverse medical effects or complications.
When using anti-bacterial drugs, older persons must be guided by a doctor and be careful to use them to ensure their health and safety.
