RESEARCH ARTICLE


Evaluation of Antibiotics Used in COVID-19 Patients in West of Iran: A Descriptive Study



Hassan Mahmoudi1, 2, *
1 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
2 Nahavand School of Allied Medical Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran


Article Metrics

CrossRef Citations:
0
Total Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 667
Abstract HTML Views: 400
PDF Downloads: 347
ePub Downloads: 184
Total Views/Downloads: 1598
Unique Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 292
Abstract HTML Views: 191
PDF Downloads: 242
ePub Downloads: 141
Total Views/Downloads: 866



Creative Commons License
© 2023 Hassan Mahmoudi

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Nahavand School of Allied Medical Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran; Tel/Fax: +98918-9539458; E-mails: h.mahmoudi@umsha.ac, Hassanmahmoudi24@gmail.com


Abstract

Introduction:

In coronavirus disease (COVID-19), antibiotics are frequently prescribed to treat bacterial co-infections. Moreover, antibiotics are one of the pre-eminent essential drugs utilized in treatment. However, due to their high cost and association with resistance, their consumption pattern is important to be considered. In this regard, the first step is to optimize the use of these drugs.

Objective:

Regarding limited data on assessing the pandemic effect on antibiotics used in Iran, this study aimed to describe the evaluation of antibiotics used in COVID-19 patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in West Iran.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 350 COVID-19 patients were enrolled in hospitals, and their characteristics, such as age, sex, ward, beginning and conclusion dates, organization intervals, dose, and the type of antibiotic utilized, were assessed. It was found that 180 COVID-19 patients received systemic antibiotics. Antibiotic administration was analyzed based on a Defined Daily Dose (DDD) /100-bed days (expended per 100-bed occupied days).

Results:

A total of 180 (51.43%) of the COVID-19 patients received antimicrobials, comparable to 219.62 DDD/100-bed days. Moreover, 85% of the antimicrobials were infused, and 15% were oral. Among the wards, the highest rate was in the infectious and intensive care unit (ICU) wards and the lowest in the obstetrics and gynecology wards.

Conclusion:

The use of antibiotics in patients with COVID-19 was assessed as very high, which should be reviewed in terms of the association between misuse of antibiotics and the emergence of resistance.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease, COVID-19, DDD/100 bed days, Antibiotics administration, Defined daily dose, Intensive care unit.