# Outcomes associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria management in elderly patients hospitalized with a ground-level fall

## TL;DR

Treating asymptomatic bacteriuria in elderly patients who fall does more harm than good and offers no benefits.

## Contribution

Demonstrates clear harm from treating ASB in elderly fall patients, supporting current IDSA guidelines.

## Key findings

- Antibiotic treatment for ASB in elderly fall patients caused harm.
- No benefits were observed from treating ASB in this population.
- Alternative causes of falls should be evaluated instead of treating ASB.

## Abstract

Data are lacking to guide management of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) in elderly patients with a fall. Comparing treated versus non-treated patients, we identified clear harm and no benefit from antibiotic treatment. Our data support IDSA recommendations to withhold antibiotics in elderly patients with ASB and evaluate alternative causes of falls.