Unnecessary Antibiotic Administration Due to Incomplete Assessment
Penalty
Summary
A resident with multiple diagnoses, including chronic kidney disease, hypertensive heart disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, was admitted to the facility and later complained of swelling in the hands, feet, and face. The resident requested a diuretic, and laboratory tests were ordered. Despite the absence of infection indicated by the urine culture results, an antibiotic (nitrofurantoin) was prescribed and administered for five days based on the initial symptoms and urinalysis results. The electronic medical record and progress notes confirm that the antibiotic was given before the urine culture results were available, which later showed only mixed urogenital flora not indicative of infection. The nurse practitioner acknowledged that, based on the resident's symptoms and the laboratory findings, the antibiotic should not have been administered. This sequence of actions resulted in the resident receiving an unnecessary medication.