title: Subcutaneous and intravenous ceftriaxone administration in patients more than 75 years of age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We wanted to compare the first line intravenous administration of ceftriaxone to a subcutaneous administration in patients more than 75 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective monocentric study on all patients more than 75 years of age admitted to the Ales hospital between January 1 and December 31, 2011, having received at least two doses of ceftriaxone intravenously (IV) or subcutaneously (SC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and forty-eight patients (70 females/78 males patients) were included, 110 received ceftriaxone IV and 38 SC. They were a mean age of 84.7 years, older in the SC group (86.9 years) than in the IV group (83.9 years) (P = 0.0052). The SC group patients presented more frequently with dementia (57% vs. 25% P = 0.001), were more often bedridden (22% vs. 7% P = 0.023), had a higher mean World Health Organization status (3.13 vs. 2.76, P = 0.0181), and higher ADL score (7.79 vs. 5.76, P = 0.0056). There was no statistical difference for isolated bacteria, site of infection, death rate, and patients cured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subcutaneous ceftriaxone administration seems to be preferred for fragile elderly patients independently of disease severity. This administration is not associated to an impaired effectiveness or to an increased death rate.
authors.affiliation: Service de court séjour gériatrique, 811, avenue du Dr-Jean-Goubert, 30100 Ales, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.affiliation: Service de court séjour gériatrique, 811, avenue du Dr-Jean-Goubert, 30100 Ales, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schambach
authors.affiliation: Service de court séjour gériatrique, 811, avenue du Dr-Jean-Goubert, 30100 Ales, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crouzet
authors.affiliation: Service de court séjour gériatrique, 811, avenue du Dr-Jean-Goubert, 30100 Ales, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sirvain
authors.affiliation: Service de court séjour gériatrique, 811, avenue du Dr-Jean-Goubert, 30100 Ales, France. Electronic address: dr.fraisse@ch-ales.fr.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fraisse
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002443:Ceftriaxone
keywords: Ceftriaxone; Geriatric patients; Patients âgés; Subcutaneous administration; Voie sous-cutanée