Antibiotics utilization in the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital Dr. Guillermo Rawson-San Juan, Argentina

Introduction: To achieve rational use of antibiotics (ATB), is necessary to know its use and prescription patterns over time. Objective: To describe and analyze the characteristics of the use of ATB in the Guillermo Rawson Hospital (GRH) adult intensive care unit (ICU). Material and Method: Observational, descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study (2008-2011). Pharmacy and Statistics records were consulted. ATC code was used, the group analyzed was J01. Oral or parenteral DDD were assigned. Data was processed with Excel 2007. Unit of measure: DDD/100 bed-days, for each ATB per year and an average of use. Results and Discussion: Over 4 years, 48 different medicines were dispensed (33 drugs). The average consumption of ATB was 177.07 DDD/100 bed-days and distribution per year was: 183.10, 165.90, 180.94, 178.34. The DDD/100 bed-days average for treatment groups more used were: penicillin (57.10), other beta-lactam antibacterials (48.01), other antibacterials (21.07), trimethoprim and sulfonamides (19.54), quinolones (15.64), macrolides/azalides and lincosamides (6.53), aminoglycosides (5.65) and tetracyclines (3.53). There were changes in consumption without clear pattern of increase or decrease. Conclusions: ATB used in the ICU and its variation in use between 2008-2011 were described. The ATB most used were penicillins and other beta-lactams and 2008 was the year that more ATB was dispensed. Understanding these patterns of consumption will be useful to develop a founded antibiotic policy reached by consensus and beneficial to the patients.