[Comparative study of antibiotic consumption in Hungarian hospitals during 1989-1991].

The data of case histories of the year of 1989 of seven Hungarian hospitals and also the 1990 and 1991 data of two hospitals were collected and integrated in a database. Consumption of antibiotics were represented in DDD (Defined Daily Dose)/1000 hospital day. These data were compared with the data of the drugs delivered by the hospital pharmacy in one of the mentioned hospitals between 1989 and 1992. It was concluded that data based on case histories represent better the real antibiotic consumption than those of the hospital pharmacy. Reason of this phenomenon is the fact, that considerable amount of drug supply gets out of institutions. Great differences were observed between the seven hospitals in the total amount of antibiotic consumption and between the different antibiotic groups as well. Drugs most frequently used were tetracyclines, broad spectrum penicillins, sulfonamides and aminoglycosides. Consumption of penicillins was decreasing. Regarding new drugs only utilisation of quinolones was increasing. It was concluded, that structure of antibiotic selection did not follow the recommendations of the medical literature. The authors suggest that "antibiotic policy" should be introduced in Hungarian hospitals so as to imporve antibiotic utilisation.