Abstract
Background: Hospital antibiotics are often misused and overused due to the absence of information regarding the indication and duration of therapy, which often leads to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance makes antibiotics ineffective in infection management, adversely impacting the health of millions of hospitalised patients annually.
Objective: This study evaluated the prevalence of antibiotic use and relevant documentation using the WHO Global Point Prevalence survey tool among hospitalised patients in Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti.
Methods: A point prevalence survey (PPS) using a pre-validated structured questionnaire was employed across various clinical departments in Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti. The Global Point Prevalence Survey Tool (Global-PPS Tool) was used to assess and compare the quantity and quality of antibiotic prescribing across 9 wards on 12th February 2022. A convenience sample of 108 patients on admission to the hospital was recruited. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics.
Results: The prevalence of antibiotic use among hospitalised patients was 75.9% (82 out of 108). Access-to-Watch ratio pattern of antibiotic prescription was 0.88 while prophylactic indication for prescribing was 73.2%. Indication for antibiotic prescription was documented for only 10.8% while targeted therapy accounted for only 14.6%. There was a low rate of documentation of stop or review dates (37.8%) to guide the course of antibiotics prescribed. Culture sensitivity tests were requested in 25.6% of patients out of which only 71.4% were performed.
Conclusion: A high prevalence of antibiotic use was identified. The proportion of prescriptions based on clear therapeutic indications was quite low. There is a need for the hospital to implement an antibiotic stewardship program for guidance.
Keywords: Antibiotic Stewardship; Point Prevalence Survey; Antibiotic Resistance, Antibiotic Use.