Original article
English
Rafik R.Elmehdawi, Abdulwahab.W.Albarsha.
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-arab University for Medical Sciences, Benghazi -Libya
Libyan J Infect Dis. Vol. 2, No.1. Jan-2008:31-36
Abstract
Introduction: antibiotics account for a considerable percentage of drugs prescribed to hospitalized patients and they tend to be overused resulting in unnecessary costs, and emergence of resistant bacteria.
Aim of Study: to evaluate the pattern of antibiotic prescription to hospitalized patients in a teaching hospital.
Subjects and Methods: a retrospective analysis of the records of 298 patients admitted to medical and surgical wards of the 7th of October hospital during the period from the 1st to 31st of January 2004. Only 256 patients were included in the study because for 42 patients, the records were missing important information. The files were reviewed regarding the use of antibiotics, the indication, the type of used antibiotics for each specific indication, and the results were compared to the recommendations given by the related European and American societies for each specific diagnosis.
Results: 155 patients of 256 (60.5%) have received antibiotics. For these numbers of patients, antibiotics were prescribed 216 times. The indication was for therapeutic purposes in 84% of the cases and for preoperative prophylaxis in 16%.
Conclusion: antibiotics are misused in this teaching hospital, and their prescriptions aren`t according to the guidelines of the specialized medical societies. This malpractice burdens the health services budget and increases the risk of emergence of resistant bacteria.
Keywords: Antibiotics, drug prescription, misuse.
Link/DOI: http://www.nidcc.org.ly/reports/THE%20LIBYAN%20JOURNAL%20OF%20%20Infectious%20Diseases%20V2%20%20No%201/5%20Pattern%20of%20antibiotic%20prescription%20to%20hospitalized%20patientsto.pdf