Antibiotic usage in surgery in a large teaching hospital

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology
• Hospital Pharmacy

Background:

• Antibiotic usage is a critical aspect of patient care in surgical settings.
• Understanding prescribing patterns is essential for antimicrobial stewardship and infection control.
• Previous data on antibiotic prevalence in specific hospital departments may be limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of antibiotic usage among hospitalized and operated patients in surgical departments.
• To analyze the patterns of antibiotic administration, including prophylactic versus therapeutic use and routes of administration.
• To identify the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes for prophylaxis and therapy in these departments.

Main Methods:

• A prevalence study was conducted at the Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm.
• Data collected on antibiotic administration for hospitalized and operated patients.
• Analysis included indications (prophylaxis vs. therapy), routes (intravenous, oral, topical), and specific drug classes.

Main Results:

• Overall, 24% of hospitalized (126/517) and 33% of operated (100/306) patients received antibiotics.
• Antibiotic prophylaxis was administered to 44% of operated patients and 37% of all antibiotic recipients.
• Oral administration was most common (60%), followed by intravenous (28%) and topical (13%). Isoxazolylpenicillins and trimethoprim-sulphonamide were frequent in prophylaxis, while isoxazolylpenicillin dominated therapy.

Conclusions:

• Significant antibiotic utilization exists within surgical departments, with a notable proportion used for prophylaxis.
• Variations in antibiotic prescribing patterns were observed across different departments.
• Findings highlight the need for continued monitoring and potential optimization of antibiotic use in surgical care.