Bed Ridden Taking Antibiotics For UTI. For How Long Should I Continue The Treatment?

Posted on Wed, 27 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 Answered on

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : my father is in a NH, he is almost 91, he is bed ridden, suffers one uti after another and anti-biotics seem to keep things at bay but as soon as they cease another happened each one leaving him weaker and weaker. He only has one kidney due to cancer, he has non h lymphoma and 12 months ago when hospitalized they thought there was an issue with his prostate. My question is when does this 'treatment' stop and palliative care begin ?

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (7 hours later)

Brief Answer: Please find detailed answer below Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for writing in. Sorry to hear that your father is suffering from non hodgkins lymphoma which is a cancer of lymphatic system. At age 91 the body gets weak in many people and geriatric concerns develop. Since your father is having repeated urinary infections, it needs to be controlled by giving antibiotics. This is important to prevent life threatening conditions that might affect him. Taking about definitive cure and palliative treatment, cancer staging is the first step before deciding the treatment protocol. If the cancer has spread beyond control then patient is put on palliative care. Treatment response in cancer is based on 5 year survival and this is concluded from several research data. In your father's situation the cancer might still be in the treatable stage. Other problems like urinary infections are known to occur during cancer treatment in all age groups due to immune suppression hence the antibiotics are being given to treat him. Hope your query is answered. Do write back if you have any doubts. Regards, Dr.Vivek

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad