Antibiotics Prescription Practice for Inpatients Clients at St. Paulandrsquo;s Hospital Mellinium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Antibiotics are one of the most widely used groups of drugs. Irrational and uncontrolled use of these agents both in developing and developed countries has resulted in an evolution of resistant strains in addition to poor health outcome. The abusive use of antibiotics is a worldwide problem and worth investigation. The regional data from Ethiopia is contributing to worldwide understanding of the situation. Objective: To assess prescription practice for inpatients clients at St Paul’s Hospital millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2018. Methods: Data was collected prospectively from March 1-30/2018 G.C. through chart abstraction, observation and interview by following patients from admission to discharge, death or left against medical advice. Sample size was calculated using a single population proportion formula and the calculated sample size was 264. Data was analyzed using (SPSS) version 24.0. Descriptive statistics were done by running frequencies. Results: Antibiotics for systemic use were prescribed to 87.5% of the patients which was nine out of ten. Of total admitted patients for 87.50% antibiotics were prescribed as treatment, of which only 38.50% prescription of antibiotics were prescribed based on treatment guidelines. The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were third generation cephalosporin alone which accounts 48.92% of all antibiotics prescribed for clients and cephalosporin (ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and ceftazidime) in combination with metronidazole were 16.88% and cephalosporin in combination with Vancomycin were prescribed for 9.96% for inpatients clients. Conclusions: In the present study for nine out of ten patients antibiotics were prescribed and more than half of prescription was inappropriate prescription 61.67% which indicated that an abusive use of antibiotics at inpatient setting of SPHMMC. Therefore, Health care practitioners’ would be better to adhered to drug prescription guideline regarding antibiotics and others drugs in developing countries Hospital settings for inpatient treatments.