Appropriate Use of Antibiotics among Pediatric In-Patients: An Interventional Randomized Controlled Study
appropriateness of antibiotics among pediatric
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/jmj.v59i5.3921Keywords:
Antibiotics, pediatric, in-patients, dose, errors.Abstract
Background and Aims: Pediatric patients are considered a special patient population for medication use. The study aims to assess the role of clinical pharmacists in the appropriate use of antibiotics among inpatient pediatrics and to evaluate some infection-related outcomes.
Method: The study was designed as an interventional randomized controlled trial, where 132 patients from the internal pediatric ward in a main hospital in Jordan were included. Pediatric patients were divided into three age groups. Each age group was sub-grouped into control and intervention groups. All patients` caregivers were interviewed, and patients’ medical files were reviewed. All antibiotic-related problems and their side effects were documented. Recommendations to solve these problems were made to the treating physician or administering nurse in the intervention group. Follow-up data were collected for each group.
Results: After a review of cases, the most frequent antibiotics-related problems found were administration errors. The antibiotic-related problems were reduced in the intervention group by 70.67% with a high response rate from the medical team. The mean length of stay in the control group and implemented intervention group was 8.02 days and 6.7 days respectively, with a significant difference (p=0.039). The incidence of side effects associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics was also reduced.
Conclusions: The clinical pharmacist interventions in our study resulted in enhancing the appropriate use of antibiotics among inpatients pediatrics and decreasing the mean length of stay as well as the incidence of side effects associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics.
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