Impact of Raising Awareness and Providing Feedback on Compliance to Antibiotic Prescription Guidelines in Pediatric Inpatients
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025
Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses
Published on: August 30, 2018
Siddhi Hembade1, Madhuri Engade1, Avinash L Sangle1
1Pediatrics, MGM Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad, IND.
Insights
Interventions like awareness and education improved antibiotic policy compliance in pediatric patients, though further efforts are needed for optimal antibiotic stewardship. Continuous feedback is key to enhancing adherence to antibiotic guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Antibiotics are crucial for treating infections in India, but irrational use fuels antibiotic resistance.
- Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat, potentially reversing medical advancements.
- Evaluating antibiotic policy compliance in pediatric wards is essential for antimicrobial stewardship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess baseline compliance with antibiotic policy in a pediatric inpatient setting.
- To analyze the impact of targeted interventions on antibiotic prescription practices.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study conducted at MGM Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad.
- Evaluation of 375 pediatric patients' prescription charts (1 month to 18 years).
- Interventions included awareness, education, and feedback sessions on antibiotic policies.
Main Results:
- Antimicrobial use decreased from 60% pre-intervention to 46.1% post-intervention.
- Policy compliance among antimicrobial-prescribed patients increased from 46% to 61%.
- Interventions demonstrated a positive impact on antibiotic prescription adherence.
Conclusions:
- Awareness, education, and feedback interventions enhance antibiotic policy compliance.
- Achieving over 90% compliance requires sustained and continuous interventions.
- Ongoing cycles of awareness and feedback are crucial for effective antimicrobial stewardship.
Introduction:
Antibiotics are vital in managing infectious diseases that significantly burden health infrastructure in a developing country like India. However, the widespread and irrational use of antibiotics has given rise to the menace of antibiotic resistance that threatens to take us back to the pre-antibiotic era. Our study aimed to evaluate the baseline compliance to antibiotic policy in the pediatric inpatient ward and analyze the impact of interventions on compliance with the policy.
Materials And Methods:
The prospective study was done at MGM Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad. The study included infants and children from one month to 18 years of age admitted to the pediatric ward. Patients' prescription charts were evaluated in 375 patients during the first three months of the study, and prescribed antibiotics were recorded and compared with standard treatment guidelines. The intervention included awareness, educational, and feedback sessions regarding antibiotic prescription policies. The antibiotics prescribed were analyzed in 375 patients during the next three months.
Results:
We found out that in the pre-intervention and post-intervention phases, out of a total of 375 patients, 60% and 46.1% were on antimicrobials, respectively. Out of those who were on antimicrobials, only 46% were compliant with the policy initially. That increased to 61% after the intervention.
Conclusion:
Awareness, education, and feedback regarding antibiotic prescription policy as an intervention helped increase compliance, though not to the desired level of more than 90%. Continuous cycles of awareness and feedback help achieve better compliance.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:19Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
00:57Antibiotic Selection
01:08Obedience
01:26Standard Precaution
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...