BACKGROUND: The emergence of multidrug-resistant, extensively resistant and pan-resistant pathogens and the widespread inappropriate use of antibiotics is a global catastrophe receiving increasing attention by health care authorities. The antibiotic prescription practices in public and private intensive care units (ICUs) in South Africa are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To document antibiotic prescription practices in public and private ICUs in South Africa and to determine their relationship to patient outcomes. METHODS: A national database of public and private ICUs in South Africa was prospectively studied using a proportional probability sampling technique. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-eight patients were recruited. Therapeutic antibiotics were initiated in 182 (73.5%), and 54.9% received an inappropriate antibiotic initially. De-escalation was practised in 33.3% and 19.7% of the public and private sector patients, respectively. Antibiotic duration was inappropriate in most cases. An appropriate choice of antibiotic was associated with an 11% mortality, while an inappropriate choice was associated with a 27% mortality (p=0.01). The mortality associated with appropriate or inappropriate duration of antibiotics was 17.6% and 20.6%, respectively (p=0.42). CONCLUSION: Inappropriate antibiotic prescription practices in ICUs in the public and private sectors in South Africa are common and are also associated with poor patient outcomes.
BACKGROUND: The emergence of multidrug-resistant, extensively resistant and pan-resistant pathogens and the widespread inappropriate use of antibiotics is a global catastrophe receiving increasing attention by health care authorities. The antibiotic prescription practices in public and private intensive care units (ICUs) in South Africa are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To document antibiotic prescription practices in public and private ICUs in South Africa and to determine their relationship to patient outcomes. METHODS: A national database of public and private ICUs in South Africa was prospectively studied using a proportional probability sampling technique. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-eight patients were recruited. Therapeutic antibiotics were initiated in 182 (73.5%), and 54.9% received an inappropriate antibiotic initially. De-escalation was practised in 33.3% and 19.7% of the public and private sector patients, respectively. Antibiotic duration was inappropriate in most cases. An appropriate choice of antibiotic was associated with an 11% mortality, while an inappropriate choice was associated with a 27% mortality (p=0.01). The mortality associated with appropriate or inappropriate duration of antibiotics was 17.6% and 20.6%, respectively (p=0.42). CONCLUSION: Inappropriate antibiotic prescription practices in ICUs in the public and private sectors in South Africa are common and are also associated with poor patient outcomes.
Authors: P Benedetti; A M Sefton; M Menegozzo; C Guerriero; G Bordignon; G Da Rin; C Romualdi; G Pellizzer; D M Livermore Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2016-06-15 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Nitin Bhagwan Mali; Siddharth P Deshpande; Niteen D Karnik; Nithya J Gogtay; Renuka P Munshi; Jigeeshu V Divatia; Sanjay C Wagle; Kannan Sridharan; Urmila Mukund Thatte Journal: Indian J Crit Care Med Date: 2018-10
Authors: Tom H Boyles; Andrew Whitelaw; Colleen Bamford; Mischka Moodley; Kim Bonorchis; Vida Morris; Naazneen Rawoot; Vanishree Naicker; Irena Lusakiewicz; John Black; David Stead; Maia Lesosky; Peter Raubenheimer; Sipho Dlamini; Marc Mendelson Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-12-09 Impact factor: 3.240