Abstract

USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN HOSPITALS; CURRENT SITUATION

Fakhsheena Anjum, Sana Ghayas*, Misbah Khalid, Yumna Anwar, Maria Aslam, Nazish Aziz

ABSTRACT

Objective: To study antibiotics use in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan for assessing the extent of overuse or polypharmacy. Methodology: A descriptive study with convenience sampling was conducted from May to August 2014 in three different wards of Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Results: Three different wards (Pediatrics, Cardiology and female Medicine wards) were visited and patients’ medication records were studied. In Paeds ward, n=54 patients’ medication records were studied (age 6 months to 12 years). Most commonly prescribed antibiotics were found to be ceftriaxone (59.25%), Amikacin (33.33%) and Metronidazole (24.07%); overall 24.07% cases of overuse/polypharmacy were identified. In cardiology ward, n=51 patients’ medical profiles (age 30-80 years) were studied to whom Ceftriaxone and Amoxicillin clavulanate were the most commonly prescribed drugs (64.70% and 19.60% respectively); 11.76% cases of drug overuse/polypharmacy were found. In female medicine ward, 71 patients’ medication records (age 25-70 years) were studied to whom Amoxicillin clavulanate and Ceftriaxone (26.76% and 16.90% respectively) were the most prescribed antibiotics; 12.67% cases of drug misuse or underuse were spotted. Conclusion: Standard treatment guidelines should be followed by the practitioners to promote rational use of drugs. In pediatrics, 3rd generation cephalosporins should be prescribed with care since there is information of growing resistance of micro organisms.

Keywords: Antibiotics, Cephalosporins, Amoxicillin Clavulanate, Amikacin, Polypharmacy.