PMID: 9540153Apr 16, 1998Paper

Antibiotic utilization in a university geriatric hospital and drug formularies

Schweizerische medizinische Wochenschrift
M LuttersN Vogt

Abstract

Inappropriate use of antibiotics needlessly increases drug expenditures, enhances the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in hospitals and heightens the risk of toxicity, especially in elderly patients. This population is very sensitive to inappropriate drug treatment because of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic changes, reduced homeostatic functional reserve, multiple underlying diseases (e.g. renal failure) and polypharmacy (leading to drug interactions and side effects). To assess antibiotic prescription in a geriatric university hospital with a restrictive drug formulary, we analyzed data extracted from the Drug Kardex (a standardized synthesis of all prescribed medicines) during 4 cross-sectional drug utilization studies, carried out in 1996 on all hospitalized patients. 1138 patients' Kardex have been analyzed. 20% of these patients received one or more antibiotic treatments. In total 268 antibiotic treatments (AB) were prescribed, 84 in March, 44 in June, 71 in September and 66 in December. 21 different AB were used, the five most frequently prescribed AB being amoxycillin-clavulanic acid, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, co-trimoxazole and representing 69% of all AB. Most of the AB were given in an oral fo...Continue Reading

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