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Published on: August 30, 2018

Antibiotic misuse in medium-sized Swiss hospitals

Av Bugnon-Reber1, A de Torrenté, N Troillet

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, City Hospital of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Swiss Medical Weekly
|November 2, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic misuse is prevalent in Swiss hospitals, particularly in surgical wards and for prophylaxis. Optimizing antibiotic stewardship could lead to significant cost savings and combat antimicrobial resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship

Background:

  • Antibiotics represent a significant hospital drug expenditure.
  • Misuse and overuse of antibiotics contribute to rising healthcare costs and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
  • Effective antibiotic stewardship is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and resource management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate antibiotic utilization patterns in Swiss non-university hospitals.
  • To identify the extent of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing on surgical and medical wards.
  • To estimate potential cost savings associated with appropriate antibiotic use and infectious disease consultation.

Main Methods:

  • A one-day prevalence study was conducted across eight Swiss non-university hospitals.
  • Inpatient antibiotic use was assessed on surgical and medical wards.
  • Prescriptions were evaluated for appropriateness, indications, and potential cost implications.

Main Results:

  • 25% of inpatients were on antibiotics; 47% of evaluated prescriptions were deemed inappropriate.
  • Inappropriate antibiotic use was significantly higher in surgical wards (58%) compared to medical wards (34%).
  • Prophylactic antibiotic use showed higher rates of inappropriateness (72%) than treatment use (41%).

Conclusions:

  • Substantial antibiotic misuse exists in Swiss hospitals, particularly in surgical settings and for prophylaxis.
  • Infectious disease consultations could lead to significant cost savings by optimizing antibiotic prescribing.
  • Implementing robust antibiotic stewardship programs is essential to reduce inappropriate use, control costs, and mitigate antimicrobial resistance.

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