ANTIBIOTIC USE IN A GENERAL SURGICAL WARD IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN ALBANIA

Inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions appears to be quite frequent worldwide and is contributing to the selection of antibiotic-resistant organisms. The aim of the study was to investigate antibiotic prescribing patterns and the rates of their irrational use in patients at a general surgical ward. The study was conducted at a general surgical ward of the University Hospital Centre “Mother Teresa” in Tirana, Albania with a capacity of 125 beds. In order to evaluate the antibiotic use, a point-prevalence study was performed in May 2015 referring the to Global PPS methodology. A patient form was completed only for those patients on antibiotic treatment at 8 o'clock on the day of the survey. On the day of the survey, 54 patients (43.2%) out of 125 in-patients were on antibiotic therapy. Their mean age was 52.7 ±14.5 years (range 17-86 years old); 56.4% were males and 43.6% females. 38 patients (70.4%) were hospitalized for elective surgery, and 16 (29.6%) for urgent surgical procedures. Availability and use of guidelines for antibiotic prescription were missing in 100% of cases. The treatment or prophylaxis was appropriate in 34 patients (63%) while it was not-appropriate in 20 patients (37%) (p<0.05). Cephalosporins were found to be the most frequently used antibiotics among all, with a rate of 90.7%. The mean duration of surgical prophylaxis was 2.1 days (range 1 to 7 days). The emergence of antibiotic resistance is linked to the inappropriate use of drugs. This study suggests that antibiotic prescriptions in the hospital need to be reviewed in terms of rational antibiotic use. A close surveillance of the antibiotic use in surgery clinics and the structuring of policies regarding surgical prophylaxis with the help of approaches such as the development of guidelines for local surgical prophylaxis and continuous education could contribute in improving the appropriate use of antibiotic therapy.