Prescripción de antibióticos en el cuarto de urgencia de un hospital pediátrico de tercer nivel en Panamá

Abstract

Introduction: Inappropriate use of antibiotics has been shown to be one of the main causes of resistance in germs acquired in the hospital setting and in the community. Multiple efforts at the global level are aimed at formulating policies and guidelines for the rational use of antibiotics.
The objective of this study is to know the characteristics of antibiotic prescription in pediatric patients with common childhood infections managed on an outpatient basis.Materials and Methods: retrospective descriptive study. We evaluated patients from 1 month to 15 years of age with diagnoses of gastroenteritis, rhinopharyngitis, acute otitis media and pharyngotonsillitis, treated in the emergency room from June 1 to December 31, 2015. For a sample of 364 subjects by pathology. The justification and the quality of the indication were evaluated according to international management guidelines.Results: 1,456 patients were included in the study. 42% received at least one antibiotic being unnecessary this therapy in 77% of the cases. The first line antibiotic was not used in 25% of the patients who deserved treatment. Amoxicillin and its combination with clavulanic acid were the most commonly used antibiotics (84%). Implementation of quality improvement measures including education and training of medical personnel is required.