Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic utilization in a tertiary hospital

Creative Commons License

Demirkiran B. Ç., GÜL H. C., ERDEM H.

Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, cilt.18, sa.8, ss.1161-1168, 2024 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

Özet

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the use of antimicrobial drugs during the second year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and evaluate the pandemic's impact on antibiotic use by comparing with the pre-pandemic period. Methodology: The study was a retrospective point prevalence study. Patients aged ≥ 18 years, who received antibiotics in our hospital between 11 February 2020. and 3 January 2022 were evaluated. The antibiotics were categorized according to the 2021 Access/Watch/Reserve (AWARe) classification. Compliance with recommendations from infectious diseases (ID) physicians, and reasons for inappropriate treatment were evaluated. Results: Among the hospitalized patients, 323 (36.4%) during the pre-pandemic days (PPD), and 361 (50.1%) during pandemic days (PD), used at least one antimicrobial drug (p < 0.001). The most frequently used antibiotics during PPD and PD were piperacillin, tazobactam, and imipenem/meropenem. The use of the "Access"group antibiotics decreased in the PD, while the use of the "Watch"and "Reserve"groups increased (p = 0.034). There was 100% (n = 209) compliance with ID consultation in the PPD, and 91.9% (n = 227) in the PD (p < 0.001). In the PPD, 64 (19.8%). of the treatments received by inpatients were inappropriate, and during the PD 100 (27.7%) were inappropriate (p = 0.016). Conclusions: The pandemic led to an increase in the overuse and inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs, particularly in the Watch and Reserve groups, in both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 clinics. There was a notable transition towards the increased utilization of broad-spectrum antibiotics during the pandemic.