Antibiotic prescription patterns in the emergency department of a tertiary healthcare center in Nepal: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective To describe antibiotic prescription patterns in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary healthcare center in Nepal. Methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of hospital records of patients who visited the ED. Results Of the 758 ED patients included in the study, 384 (50.6%) received a total of 536 antibiotic prescriptions. Common indications for antibiotic prescriptions included respiratory infection (37.5%), gastrointestinal infection (19.3%), urinary infection (10.4%), and prophylaxis (29.9%). Antibiotics listed as essential in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) and generic formulations were used in 77.1% and 61.9% of the antibiotic prescriptions, respectively. Injectable antibiotics were prescribed to 54.9% of the 384 patients. Frequently prescribed antibiotics included ceftriaxone (34.1%), metronidazole (18.5%), amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (15.9%), and cefixime (14.3%). Bacterial culture testing was performed in 15.1% of the patients who received antibiotics. Conclusions This study showed that overuse of antibiotics, prescription of branded antibiotics, prescription of antibiotics not listed in the NLEM, prophylactic use of antibiotics, and empirical treatment of suspected infections without isolation of pathogens were all prevalent. We recommend more research to determine the causes underlying these practices and develop interventions to limit such practices.