THE PATTERN OF ANTIBIOTICS PRESCRIPTION AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THEIR USE AMONG PEDIATRIC PATIENTS AT SAINT PAUL’S HOSPITAL MILLENNIUM MEDICAL COLLEGE, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

SUMMARY Background: Antibiotics are substances that inhibit the growth and replication of a bacterium or kill it outright. They are a type of antimicrobial designed to target bacterial infections within (or on) the body. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics is a demanding public health issue worldwide, as it can result in antibiotic resistance. To address this issue, it is imperative to comprehend the prescribing patterns of antibiotics and work towards reducing irrational prescription practices. Objective: To assess the pattern of antibiotic prescription, to evaluate the appropriateness of its use, and to identify factors associated with inappropriate prescription among pediatric patients admitted to pediatric wards and NICU of SPHMMC. Methods: A retrospective, observational descriptive analysis study design was conducted at the department of pediatrics of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College. A total number of 470 patient charts were selected using a stratified, random sampling method, was used from recordings kept from June 01 to September 30, 2023. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26, both descriptive and analytic data management were employed. Results: Nearly one fifth (21.7%) of the patients had inappropriate antibiotic usage. This study showed that ceftriaxone and ampicillin + Gentamycin were the most frequently used single and combination antibiotics, respectively. From all the patients analyzed, only 184 of them (39%) had a culture sample obtained. But among these 184 samples, 83% exhibited no growth on the culture media. The study revealed that from all samples analyzed, 14.89% had incorrect dosage, 6.81% had inappropriate frequency, and 10.21% had improper duration of antibiotics administration, despite appropriate antibiotic selection. Conclusion: The study revealed 21.7% of inappropriate antibiotic use at the pediatrics department of St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, among admitted patients, described by lack of appropriate and timely culture results, low rate of organism identification on culture growths, irrational dosing, frequency, and duration.