Inpatient Antibiotic Prescription Frequency at a Local Hospital

Abstract

Background: To review and assess antibiotic prescribing in admitted patients in a local tertiary hospital, in
Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted utilizing existing electronic records
of antibiotic prescriptions for 1197 patient cases, selected from a pool of 25,000 inpatients admitted to a local
hospital through systematic sampling. All therapeutic antibiotic prescriptions were evaluated and examined
over a 9-month period (from March 2023 to December 2023). The study involved examining and evaluating
data that encompassed patients’ demographic details, clinical diagnoses, and the method of antibiotic delivery.
Results: Antimicrobials were administered to 63.6% of subjects, among whom 47.9% were prescribed at least
two kinds of antimicrobial agents. Two drugs were prescribed for 28.9%, three drugs for 10.6%, and 8.4% for
four or more antibiotics. Cephalosporins (81.7%) ranked first, followed by quinolones (41.6%), then penicillin
(20.1%). Conclusion: To make informed decisions about antibiotic use and identify potential issues related to
antibiotic misuse, it is essential to conduct more comprehensive and long-term studies on antibiotic consumption
in Saudi Arabia.