Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses
11:17

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses

Published on: August 30, 2018

13.5K

Prescription precision: Evaluating antimicrobial prescription practices in paediatric and neonatal inpatients

Carla Theron1, Maja van Aswegen1, A'ishah da Costa1

  • 1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.

Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases
|March 11, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Antimicrobial prescribing in African paediatric wards is suboptimal, with frequent broad-spectrum agent use, delayed administration, and poor documentation. Improved stewardship is crucial for better patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Global Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Paediatric Medicine

Background:

  • Limited data exist on antimicrobial prescribing quality in African paediatric hospitals.
  • This study addresses the need for assessing antimicrobial use in neonatal and paediatric wards.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the quality of antimicrobial prescribing in neonatal and paediatric medical wards.
  • To identify areas for improvement in antimicrobial stewardship.

Main Methods:

  • Weekly point prevalence surveys (PPSs) were conducted over three weeks in 2025.
  • Data collected included patient demographics, antimicrobial agents, prescription quality, and time to administration (hangtime).
  • Electronic surveys were used to gather information from 842 prescription charts.

Main Results:

  • 237 (28.1%) patients received antimicrobials, with higher use in paediatric wards (34.4%) than neonatal wards (23.3%).
  • Most therapy was empiric (89.0%), with pneumonia and sepsis being common indications.
  • Prescription quality was suboptimal, with documented allergies in 37.1%, infection source in 29.0%, and stop dates in 38.0%.

Conclusions:

  • Antimicrobial prescribing in these wards involved frequent broad-spectrum agent use, delayed administration, and incomplete documentation.
  • Findings underscore the necessity for enhanced antimicrobial stewardship practices.
  • Promoting timely, appropriate, and well-documented antimicrobial use is essential.
Abstract

Keywords:
PPSantibiotic-resistanceantimicrobialneonatepaediatricprescriptionstewardship

More Related Videos

Antimicrobial Synergy Testing by the Inkjet Printer-assisted Automated Checkerboard Array and the Manual Time-kill Method12:03

Antimicrobial Synergy Testing by the Inkjet Printer-assisted Automated Checkerboard Array and the Manual Time-kill Method

Published on: April 18, 2019

27.9K
A Robust Pneumonia Model in Immunocompetent Rodents to Evaluate Antibacterial Efficacy against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii09:17

A Robust Pneumonia Model in Immunocompetent Rodents to Evaluate Antibacterial Efficacy against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii

Published on: January 2, 2017

15.3K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
346
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
660
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
605
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
411
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
306
Antimicrobial Effectiveness01:28

Antimicrobial Effectiveness

The effectiveness of antimicrobial agents depends on various factors influencing their ability to eliminate microbial populations. Larger microbial populations require more time for complete eradication, emphasizing the importance of population size analysis when evaluating antimicrobial efficacy.Microbial resistance to antimicrobial agents varies significantly. Highly resilient microorganisms include endospores, gram-negative bacteria, and non-enveloped viruses, while prions are exceptionally...
1.7K