Hospital antibiotic use in Argentina has not been described. We present results of point prevalence surveys on antibiotic use conducted in 109 Argentinian hospitals in November 2018 and submitted to the National Program of Epidemiology and Control of Hospital-Acquired Infections, and we discuss potential areas for improvement.

The overuse and misuse of antimicrobials contribute to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim of this work was to analyse all the anti-infectives for systemic use (J ATC group) prescribed at the University Clinic Hospital of Valladolid (Spain) for the years 2009-2013. Amounts of anti-infectives (antibacterials, antifungals and antivirals) used in the period 2009-2013 were expressed as defined daily doses (DDDs) and as total expenditure, and the significance of the difference in consumption of anti-infectives and the relevant expenditure between years was evaluated from the overlapping of the corresponding confidence intervals at 95% confidence level of DDDs and expenditure. The results obtained showed that DDDs and expenditure of antibacterials decreased in the period 2009-2013. Antimycotics showed an upward trend in expenditure and DDDs in the five-year study period, but with major oscillations. The consumption of antivirals was practically constant in the period 2...

The main aim of this observational study was to study the pattern of usage of antibiotics in a tertiary care hospital as their rampant use is recognised as one of the main reasons of antibiotic resistance. The quantum of use is best described by defined daily dose. Defined daily doses (DDDs) of antimicrobials prescribed per 100 bed days are a good measure of antimicrobial consumption. The DDD methodology converts and standardises readily available product quantity data into crude estimates of clinical exposure to medicines. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose for the medication's main indication. The study shows a consistently very high increase in the consumption of Meropenem and Ceftriaxone while there is no significant change in the consumption of Metronidazole, Tobramycin, and Vancomycin. The increase in expenditure due to antibiotic usage from 2011 to 2012 was 23% while the increase from 2012 to 2013 was 17%. It has also identified drugs like Meropenem and Piper...

Antibiotics are drugs widely used in prophylaxis and treatment of a great number of diseases. However, their use must be carefully controlled as acquisition in pharmacies, often without medical prescription, is elevated. The role of pharmacists in these circumstances is to practice dispensation in a rational manner. Through a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions, this study investigated the profile of antibiotics dispensed in pharmacies of Tubarão, Santa Catarina, Brazil. From the responses, it was observed that 85.0% dispense this class of medicine without medical prescription, mainly for treatment of respiratory (62.8%) and urinary (12.0%) tract disorders. Moreover, pharmacists' guidance was largely focused on posology (66.6%) and drug interaction (12.6%), in addition to the interactions with contraceptives, alcohol and milk. The importance of avoiding antibiotics dispensation without medical prescription must be emphasized, as well as the benefits of educat...