Antibiotics Use among Geriatric Patients Admitted in the Department of Medicine in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

• Published in: JNMA; journal of the Nepal Medical Association Vol. 61; no. 262; pp. 522 - 525
• Main Authors: Shrestha, Ruchi, Pandey, Brijesh, Shakya Shrestha, Sony, Manandhar Shrestha, Jyoti Tara, Poudel, Pankaj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nepal Journal of the Nepal Medical Association 01.06.2023; Nepal Medical Association
• Subjects: Aged; aged; antibiotics; drug utilization; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Ceftriaxone; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hospitalization; Humans; Middle Aged; Original; Tertiary Care Centers
• ISSN: 0028-2715; 1815-672X
• DOI: 10.31729/jnma.8105

Ageing predisposes to increased risk of infections which make these population vulnerable to high risk of various chronic co-morbidities, organ dysfunction and mortality. Increased frequency of infections has led to an increasing proportion of geriatric patient admission to hospitals, and antibiotics therapy has long been recognized as a cornerstone in the treatment of infections. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of antibiotic use among geriatric patients admitted to the Department of Medicine in a tertiary care centre. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among geriatric patients admitted to Department of Medicine in a tertiary care centre from 1 May 2022 to 31 August 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 17/22). Patients with the age of ≥60 years, admitted to the Department of Medicine who stayed for at least 24 hours was included as the study population. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Among 520 geriatric patients, antibiotics was used in 252 (48.46%) (44.16-52.76, 95% Confidence Interval) patients. Ceftriaxone was the most common antibiotic used in 165 (65.48%) patients, followed by oral azithromycin in 72 (28.57%). The mean antibiotics used per patient was 1.59±0.73. The prevalence of antibiotic use in the geriatric population was found to be lower than in the other studies done in similar settings. aged; antibiotics; drug utilization.