The prescribing pattern of antibiotics varies from one country to the next. In many parts of the world, the number of prescribed antibiotics varies by region. For example, in rural areas, more doctors are reluctant to prescribe these medicines. In the urban areas, antibiotic use tends to be lower, although the reasons for this may be more complex. For instance, in some parts of the country, adherence to treatment guidelines is often inconsistent.
In the study, antibiotics were categorized according to therapeutic class and by geographic region. In rural areas, prescriptions were divided by geographical region, with the former being more expensive than the latter. In addition, a cross-sectional study of pediatric patients was also carried out to estimate antibiotic prescribing. The analysis involved comparing the cost per claim and cost per enrollee.
The study found that nearly one-third of all antibiotic prescriptions for children were systemic. Because of this, these antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed drugs among children and are a major cause of public health concerns. However, there is limited information on the rational use of antibiotics in children. Therefore, it is essential to regularly evaluate the prescribing pattern of antibiotics in pediatrics, as well as their cost.
The study included two types of hospital settings. In the pediatric ward, patients were admitted for two months. Data on patient demographics and antibiotic use was collected daily in structured proforma. The analysis was descriptive and the results were reported as a percentage of the population. The authors of the study have also included a summary of the results. The findings are important for clinicians in guiding their prescribing.
The study was designed to identify and describe the regional variation in antibiotic prescribing. The results showed that the proportion of patients on at least one AM was 100%. The average number of antibiotics prescribed per patient was 1.93. The study also investigated the cost per AM in the hospital setting. The authors concluded that the use of antibiotics in children is justified in many cases, despite the cost.
The study also reported that doctors were more knowledgeable about antibiotic prescribing when they were specialists. In contrast, house officers were less knowledgeable about the role of antibiotics. Moreover, physicians need to be able to prescribe these drugs to patients with a wide range of illnesses. Despite the fact that physicians are trained to make decisions regarding antibiotics, the use of this drug has a high cost.
In the study, the median hospitalization time was four to seven days. Compared to the previous study, the average duration of hospitalization was shorter for patients who received systemic antibiotics, indicating that economic constraints were the main reason for early discharge from the intensive care unit. In this way, the antibiotic use of the ICU in patients was more appropriate in the longer run, as compared to those who did not receive them.
While the number of patients in the survey was higher during the winter than in the summer, the number of patients was similar. The number of respondents was highest during Q1 and Q4 of the study, and the number of patients was lowest during the winter. Despite this, the results of the study did not differ from those of other studies. While the study showed that the use of antibiotics in the hilly Himalayan region was highly appropriate, the results of the study were not.
In the Canadian study, patients had the most difficulty in transferring from injectable drugs to oral ones. In this case, the early switchover to oral antibiotics was difficult. This change is difficult in rural areas, where patients may not have access to medical care. The study showed that there is a high risk of infection with parenteral drugs, and they are not used for the same conditions.
