A STUDY OF PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF ANTIMICROBIAL USAGE IN EAR, NOSE AND THROAT INFECTIONS OF A RURAL TEACHING HOSPITAL

• Published in: Journal of evolution of medical and dental sciences Vol. 3; no. 60; pp. 13407 - 13414
• Main Authors: Prasad N.B., Guru, Dhananjay, Kulkarni, H., Rajasekhar C, D., Rajesh, Y, Raghavendra A, K., Vinodraj, V, Advaitha M, Anand, Nikhilesh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Akshantala Enterprises Private Limited 10.11.2014
• Subjects: Beta lactamases; Dicloxacillin; Infection; Medical research; Prescription writing; Respiratory tract diseases
• ISSN: 2278-4748; 2278-4802
• DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/3788

Infections of the ear, nose and throat (E.N.T) are common clinical problems occurring in the general population. Prescription pattern study of ENT infections was conducted in ENT OPD of a rural teaching hospital with the objective of evaluating prescribing pattern of drugs and to study the rationality of the antimicrobial therapy. The study showed that in the 768 prescriptions, the AMAs (Antimicrobial agents) were indicated therapeutically in 79.68%, prophylactically in 9.16% and both in 11.16% patients. Among the infections reported the most common was Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI-38.26%) followed by Acute suppurative otitis media (ASOM -19.53%), otomycosis (11.71%), Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM-10.15%) and otitis externa (5.4%). Out of 768 cases, culture and sensitivity tests were performed in 138 patients and only 54 showed bacterial isolates. The notable microbes isolated were staphylococcus aureus (33.3%), pseudomonas (33.3%), beta-haemolytic streptococcus (11.11%), haemophilus influenza (11.11%) and anaerobes (11.11%). Most (53%) prescriptions contained 2 AMAs. The preferred combination was cefpodoxime plus dicloxacillin (35.15%). The generally preferred route of administration of the drugs was oral with a few exceptions where topical and parenteral routes were employed. Most of the causative microbes were sensitive to the [beta]-lactam group of antimicrobials (53.4%), and resistant to erythromycin and doxycycline. KEYWORDS: ENT, AMAs, Prescription pattern, Drug utilization.