Over the past two decades, prescriptions for the reserve antibiotic Ciprofloxacin have surged. Microbiologist Babette van Hees, in her doctoral research at Utrecht University, argues its use in Dutch hospitals could be cut by 50 to 70 percent.
Van Hees stresses that Ciprofloxacin is designed as a last-resort backup and should only be used in exceptional cases. It's often prescribed upfront for urinary tract infections, bypassing first-line antibiotics per guidelines. Doctors favor it for its oral administration and broad-spectrum efficacy.
Four million Dutch people take at least one course of antibiotics yearly.
Although the Netherlands uses relatively few antibiotics compared to other European countries, Van Hees says there's room for further reduction.
