ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess patterns of antibiotic prescribing at the Sangre Grande Hospital, Trinidad and Tobago.
Methods: The study involved retrospectively collecting information regarding hospitalized patients utilizing a data collection tool. This was conducted over one (1) month in October 2015. Data was analysed using Microsoft excel and IBM SPSSv22.
Results: The 1st, 2nd and 3rd most commonly prescribed antibiotics were cefuroxime at a modal intravenous (iv) dose of 1.5 grams and oral at a modal dose of 500 milligrams, iv co-amoxiclav at a modal dose of 1.2 grams and oral at a modal dose of 625 milligrams and iv ceftriaxone at a modal dose of 1 gram. 72.5% of patients received iv antibiotics. Surgery/Obstetrics and Gynaecology wards recorded the highest antibiotics use. 13.75% patients were on at least 2 antibiotics at one time and 6.25% of patients on surgical wards were on at least 3 antibiotics at once. Only 12.5% of patients, on antibiotics, had positive bacteriology cultures. The most commonly recorded surgical procedure in 11.25% cases was caesarean section (CS). IV cefuroxime was the antibiotic of choice, in hospital for CS surgical prophylaxis. The most common non-surgical condition, for which antibiotics were prescribed, was oncology (8.75%).
Conclusion: Retrospective antibiotic prescribing surveys may offer a simple method of monitoring antibiotic usage and thus inform antibiotic stewardship. Beta-Lactam antibiotics were the most commonly used antibiotics in obstetrics/gynaecology and oncology.
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