[Audit on antibiotic prescriptions in a department of infectious diseases]

Abstract

Objectives: France is one of the countries that prescribe the most antibiotics. The inappropriate use of antibiotics participates in the emergence of multi-resistant bacteria. This study was aimed at assessing the adequation of antibiotic prescriptions in a hospital department of internal medicine-infectious diseases.

Methods: Over a two-month period, all the antibiotics treatments were analysed prospectively. The adequation of the treatments was analysed at first with regard to the various consensus conferences of the French-speaking Society of infectious diseases (Société de pathologie infectieuse de langue française (Spilf)) and then with regard to the bacteriological results.

Results: One hundred and five prescriptions were analysed during the study period. Thirty-five percent of prescriptions were inadequate with regard to the criteria used. In 22 cases the prescription was excessive, in 8 cases it was unjustified and in 5 cases it was inappropriate. Moreover, in univariate analysis, 3 factors were correlated with inadequation: prescriptions drawn-up by a non-infectious disease practitioner (OR =3.45, IC 95% 1.34-9.09, p=0.008), prescriptions drawn-up by junior in the department (OR =4.10, IC 95% 1.54-11.08, p=0.003) and prescriptions pour respiratory infections (OR=2.58, IC 95% 1.03-6.48, p =0.04).

Conclusion: This study conducted in a department of infectious diseases reveals the persisting high rate of inappropriate prescriptions, confirming the need to develop control and retro-control strategies regarding the prescription of antibiotics in order to control the diffusion of multi-resistant bacteria.