PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF CEPHALOSPORINS AND CARBAPENEM ANTIBIOTICS IN THE CRITICAL CARE UNIT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Lekshmi B. Chandran*, Akash A., Arya Mohanan and Soumya R. V.

ABSTRACT

The aim of present study was to develop clinical pharmacist intervention to improve the prescribing pattern of Cephalosporins and Carbapenem antibiotics in Critical Care Unit (CCU). We focus on 224 patients who received Cephalosporin or Carbapenem antibiotics in CCU. Prescribing pattern was evaluated through descriptive analysis, t-test, modified t-test and chi square techniques. APACHE 2 Score was used for the prediction of mortality rate of patients admitted to CCU. The result shows 128 male and 96 female patients admitted to CCU during the study period. The average age of the patients was 61.32 years ± 15.85 SD and the median APACHE II score was 12, and the most common diagnosis at admission was respiratory diseases (60 patients). The average length of stay (LOS) in the CCU was 7.37 days. A total of 1780 drugs were prescribed at admission in 224 patients, that is, an average of 7.95± 2.90 SD drugs/prescription. One hundred and thirty two patients (58.92%) were prescribed an antibiotic at the time of admission into the CCU. In all, 293 antibiotics, at an average of 1.32 ± 0.56 SD antibiotics/prescription were ordered, and antibiotics constituted 16.46% of the total drugs prescribed. The study concluded as clinical pharmacist interventions had a great importance in improving the prescribing pattern and reducing the emergence of resistance.

Keywords: Prescribing pattern, Cephalosporins, Carbapenem, Critical Care Unit (CCU), APPACHE 2 Score.