[Audit on antibiotic prescriptions in a department of infectious diseases]

Jean-Ralph Zahar1, Parinaz Ghaffari, Isabelle Kamga

  • 1Inserm U 570, Unité de pathogénie des infections systémiques, Faculté de médecine Necker-Enfants malades, Paris (75). zahar@necker.fr

Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
|September 25, 2003
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Thirty-five percent of antibiotic prescriptions were inadequate, with non-infectious disease practitioners and junior doctors more likely to prescribe inappropriately. This highlights the need for antibiotic stewardship to combat multi-resistant bacteria.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Public Health

Context:

  • France exhibits high antibiotic prescription rates, contributing to multi-drug resistant bacteria.
  • Inappropriate antibiotic use is a significant global health concern.
  • Hospital internal medicine-infectious diseases departments face challenges in optimizing antibiotic therapy.

Purpose:

  • To assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions in a hospital internal medicine-infectious diseases department.
  • To identify factors associated with inadequate antibiotic prescribing.
  • To inform strategies for reducing antibiotic resistance.

Summary:

  • A prospective analysis of 105 antibiotic prescriptions revealed that 35% were inadequate.
  • Inadequacies included excessive, unjustified, and inappropriate prescriptions.
  • Factors linked to inadequate prescribing were non-specialist prescribers, junior doctors, and respiratory infections.

Impact:

  • Findings underscore the persistent issue of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
  • The study emphasizes the critical need for enhanced antibiotic control and monitoring strategies.
  • Reducing inappropriate prescriptions is vital for controlling the spread of multi-resistant bacteria.

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