Evaluation of antibiotic use among hospitalized patients in a pediatric department of a training hospital in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are widely used and inaccurate or inappropriate prescription of antibiotics causes a significant increase in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections among children. This research aimed to study antibiotic prescriptions in hospitalized pediatric patients and to determine the prevalence of inappropriate antimicrobial use and the main types of prescribing errors.

METHODS: After obtaining the Ethics Committee approval, screening was conducted among 535 patients admitted to the Department of Pediatrics at Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital in the period of 01.01.2016 - 31.12.2016 who had been treated with an antibiotic. Patients' demographics, diagnosis, and antibiotic therapy details were collected using a standardized case report form and assessed by a clinical pharmacologist and an infectious disease specialist regarding the convenience and accurateness of antibiotic prescribing.

RESULTS: Out of 535 antibiotic prescriptions, single antibiotics were used inappropriately in 216 (56.10%) of the patients and there were 39 (26%) unnecessary antibiotic combinations. Most of the errors were made in the dose frequency (55.69%), followed by indication (25.88%), administration route (16.08%), and dosage (2.67%).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study show that a high level of antibiotics in the pediatric clinic was misprescribed. Inappropriate usage increases the chances of microbial resistance and the cost of treatment. Precautions should be taken in this regard.