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Abstract
Introduction: Examining antibiotic prescribing trends serves as a crucial gauge for assessing the quality and adherence to clinical practices.
Objective: To study the patterns of antimicrobial prescription and utilisation in different intensive care units (ICUs); the average expenditures on prescribed antimicrobials; and the association between antimicrobial usage and incurred costs.
Methodology: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in different ICUs of Kathmandu Medical College from 2022 June to October. A total of 140 prescriptions of patients admitted in intensive care units were obtained by convenient sampling technique after ethical clearance. The total number of drugs and antibiotics, the class, dose, route, and cost of antimicrobials were noted. Data were analysed by SPSS v. 21.
Result: Among the 140 prescriptions studied, a total of 261 antimicrobials were prescribed with an average of 1.86 antimicrobial per prescriptions. Most of the prescriptions belonged to patients admitted in medical intensive care units. The average cost of antimicrobial in patient up to age 45 years was Nepali rupees 2,475.73/- and 8,987.25/- in patients aged more than 45 years.
Conclusion: Antimicrobials are prevalent in ICU prescriptions and substantially contribute to overall drug expenses. This study showed that ceftriaxone was the most frequently used antimicrobials in intensive care units. Moreover high utilisation rates and cost of antimicrobials prescribed in ICUs are significant concern that requires urgent attention through implementation of guidelines and antimicrobial restriction policies.
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