Oral antibiotic usage in hospitalized patients

With the introduction of the fluoroquinolones, oral antibiotic usage is becoming an increasingly important issue. The medical record of 119 patients receiving oral antibiotics at a university hospital were reviewed to examine demographics and patterns of usage. The population was predominantly female and below 50 years of age. Urinary tract infections were most common followed by infections of the respiratory tract and skin and skin structure. The majority of usage was empiric in nature. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, cephalexin, and ampicillin/amoxicillin. Monotherapy with an oral agent was observed in 82% of the cases. Intravenous antibiotics were administered prior to oral therapy in 61% of the patients studied. The authors observed a trend from combination intravenous therapy to single-agent oral therapy. Of the patients discharged on an oral antibiotic, 84% received a prescription for the agent originally prescribed for them in the hospital. Tracking of oral antibiotic inpatient use is effective at assessing major trends in usage.