Antibiotics Utilization Ratio in a Nicu

• Author(s): Rodrigues, V ; Santos, S ; Maia, R ; Neto, MT ; Serelha, M
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.17/986
• Origin: Repositório do Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, EPE
• Subject(s): Antibióticos; Ratio; Cuidados Intensivos Neonatais; HDE UCI NEO
• Document Type: Lecture
• Language: English

Description

Introduction: Antibiotics are one of the most common prescribed drugs in the NICU; despite this, studies on its use are scarce. Aim: To assess antibiotics utilization ratio in a medical surgical NICU. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Daily registry of antibiotics given to newborn infants; two periods of two months, 2010; data collected every day after the second medical round. Variables: treated patients, days on antibiotics, treatment/patient days, number of courses, number of antibiotics. Antibiotics utilization ratio – ratio days on antibiotics/days at the NICU. Results: Patients enrolled - 113; admission days – 1722; length of stay - 15.2 days; 85 newborn infants were given antibiotics; days on antibiotics - 771; antibiotics utilization ratio – 44.8; 292 antibiotics were prescribed; 61.8% of patients were given more than two antibiotics and 15.3% had more than one course. The most frequents were gentamicin, cefotaxime, ampicillin, vancomycin and metronidazole. Conclusion: Antibiotics utilization ratio should be subject of audits and a quality criteria on NICUs evaluation.