drug prescribing

ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIBING EVALUATED AT TWO JERUSALEM HOSPITALS

Over one-third of all antibiotics are given prophylactically after surgery Antibiotic prescribing was assessed prospectively at 2 hospitals in Jerusalem. One hospital 'controlled the use of antibiotics, while the other did not. Nevertheless, at both hdspitaJs, cephalosporins aa:ounled for 2 1 96 of all courses. At the hospilaJ which controlled antibiotic prescriptions, rephalosporins accounted for II % of antibiotic treatment days. while at the other hospital, they accounted for 22 % oftreatment days. 33·36 % of all antibiotic courses were for prophylaxis after surgery. The mean duration of prophylactic courses was longer 0 ,9 I'S 3.2 days) at the hospital where antibiotic prescriptions were not controlled. AI this hospital, 61 % of the prophylactic antibiotic courses were considered to be 'excessively prolonged' as compared with 55% at the oontrolled hospital. After a protocol for antibiotic prophylaxi~ was introduced. the average quantity of antibiotic.<; given per patient decreased by 3896, allhough prophylaxis in high risk surgical procedures increased from 39 96 10 97 % in the controlled hospItal . Sllapiro, M. eI 81 .: RevieW50rlnfecUous [)ist.a.o;e. l : lS4 (Jul-Alli 1981)

4 INPHARMA 14 NOlI 1981 0156_2103/ 81 / 1114_0004 $00.50/ 0 C ADIS Pre»