Management of common infections in the elderly outpatient

Bacteriuria is not thought to cause progressive renal damage in the asymptomatic adult. Therefore, in the elderly patient with relapsing asymptomatic bacteriuria, further antibiotic therapy may be withheld, and the patient instructed to return in the event of symptomatic exacerbations. Postherpetic neuralgia is particularly frequent and severe in the elderly, occurring in 25 to 40% of patients over age 60 with herpes zoster. When the patient is seen within the first week, a 3-week regimen of oral corticosteroid therapy may shorten the duration of neuralgia.