Ansam F. Sawalha, Ghada O. Al-Bishtawi, Laila S. Al-
Khayyat, Waleed M. Sweileh* , Rowa J. Al-Ramahi &
Pattern of Parenteral Antimicrobial Prescription among Pediatric
Patients in Al-Watani Government Hospital in Palestine.
Abstract Objective: No studies were carried out in Palestine to investigate the antimicrobial prescribing
among hospitalized pediatric patients. The objective of this study was to audit and therapeutically
analyze the pattern of parenteral antimicrobial prescriptions among pediatric patients in Al-
Watani government hospital in Palestine. Such audit will be of great value to clinician and health
Material and Methods: Data on antimicrobial prescribing were collected for 30 consecutive
days for all pediatric patients admitted to Al-Watani government hospital. Data on antimicrobial
prescribing were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
program. Analysis was done for age, sex, diagnosis, site of infection, number of antimicrobial
agents given, how many times have the drug regimen been changed and the frequency of
Results: Three hundred and forty pediatric patients were admitted to Al-Watani government
hospital during the study period. Gastroenteritis was the most common cause of hospitalization,
while upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) was the most common cause of parenteral
antimicrobial agent administration. Two hundred and ten (61.8%) patients received parenteral
antimicrobial agents while 16 (4.7%) received both parenteral and oral antimicrobial agents.
Single antimicrobial agent was prescribed for 172 (76.1%) patients. Cefuroxime was the main
single antimicrobial agent used, it was administered to 70/226 (31%) patients.
Conclusion: Treatment patterns used for most patients were nearly according to current
therapeutic recommendations. However, improving the availability of rapid diagnostic methods to
differentiate between viral and bacterial infections is suggested to reduce empiric therapy
numbers by antimicrobial agents so as to decrease chance for drug resistance.
Key words: Antimicrobials, Pediatrics, Prescription, Palestine. Introduction
effective and play an important role in the
ccording to the 2003 annual report issued
by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 437
have serious consequences. The worldwide,
deaths among infants and children less than
multi-drug resistant microorganisms were
five years were caused by infectious diseases
(1). This suggests that more attention is
widespread use of antimicrobial agents in
needed for the investigation of the protocols
both inpatients and outpatients (2, 3). For
there is an emergence of resistant strains of
Streptococcus pneumoniae to antimicrobial
population groups to contract illnesses.
increasing (4). The emergence of multi-drug
included patient's file number, age, sex,
resistant microorganisms might lead to more
diagnosis, site of infection, and the drug
problem associated with the irrational use of
(SPSS version 11) program in terms of age,
antimicrobials especially among pediatrics is
sex, diagnosis, site of infection, number of
the ability of strong antibiotics to disturb the
colonization of gastro-intestinal microflora
times have the drug regimen been changed,
which may induce serious clinical symptoms
Diagnosis was classified as being either
single, mixed, unidentified or no infection.
resistant pathogens and other complications
infection is diagnosed, “mixed” is used
strict antibiotic policy and rational use of
“unidentified” infection was used when the
antimicrobial agents which also have shown
patient was given antimicrobial agents but
to be cost saving and to prolong antibiotic
utilization in Palestine in general and among
Data analysis showed that 266/340 (7 %) of
pediatrics in particular. Such knowledge is
the admitted patients were below five years
of age. One third of those patients were
identify targets for improving antimicrobial
utilization and thus optimizing costs, therapy
admitted males were 203 representing (60%)
and disease management. The objective of
this study was to investigate the use of
infection who were admitted to the hospital
Hospital in Nablus which is a referral center
single infection while mixed infections were
for pediatrics from northern West Bank, and
diagnosed in 28 patients (8.3%). Further
to determine if the current utilization was
infections account for most of the diagnosed
Material and Methods
This study was carried out in the pediatric
admitted, 210 (61.8%) received parenteral
anti-infective therapy, 16 (4.7%) received
department is supervised by board certified
both parenteral and oral treatment, 7 (2.1%)
pediatricians and pediatric-board-eligible
(31.5%) didn't receive any anti-infective
therapy. Beta-lactams, metronidazole and
admitted pediatric patients and was carried
aminoglycosides constitute the majority of
out for thirty days starting from October 10th
administered anti-infective agents. Among
the 226 patient whom received parenteral
prescriptions for all admitted patients within
antimicrobial agents, cephalosporins were
the 30 days were reviewed. Access to patient
medical files was made possible based on an
cephalosporin, was used among a total of 70
(31%) patients. It was repeatedly used for
chest infection, unidentified infections and
pneumonia. Ceftriaxone, a third generation
cephalosporin, was used among a total of 56
(24.8%) patients. It was used for meningitis,
unidentified infections and upper respiratory
tract infections (URTI). Cefazolin, a first
approximately 18% of the admitted patients.
generation cephalosporin, was mainly used
The combination consisted of ceftriaxone +
for gastroenteritis. Crystalline penicillin, a
parenteral penicillin, was used in 21 (9.3%)
patients, half of them were having tonsillitis,
patients mainly for URTI. Metronidazole, a
chemotherapeutic agent effective against
In the treatment of single infections, no
anaerobic bacteria and certain parasites, was
fixed therapeutic regimen was employed as
used in 21 (9.3%) patients for treatment of
shown in Table-2. For most of the admitted
hospital. However in 8.2% of the cases the
Table 1.Data distribution based on site of
microbiological culture; rather, it was based
infection. GI: Gastrointestinal Infection, URTI:
on patient's clinical response, as culture
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection, LRTI: Lower
sensitivity test was done only for 5.6% of
Respiratory Tract Infection, CNS: Central
Nervous System, UTI: Urinary Tract Infection.
Frequency Infection Discussion GI Infection
Inappropriate utilization of antimicrobial
agents forced many researchers to evaluate
No Infection
the antimicrobial consumption in order to
restrict and control the risk of antibiotic
Unidentified Infection
worldwide to assess this problem. A study
CNS Infection
done in a tertiary hospital in Spain showed
Prophylactic
extensive inappropriate third generation
guidelines for rational antibiotic use were
Infection
developed, but it haven't been implemented
Skin Infection URTI+UTI
practice and antibiotic prescribing pattern at
a general hospital in Nigeria revealed that
Liver Infection
appreciable gap in knowledge with respect
CNS+ Kidney Infection
healthcare professionals (10). Prescription
Infection+ URTI
audit reveals that it's possible to achieve a
change in the utilization of antibiotic in
treatment of RTIs (11). Getting audit and
feed back information about clinical records
administered to patients was also assessed.
has been shown to decrease inappropriate
Single antimicrobial therapy was used in
utilization of antibiotics. For continuous
benefit these records should be continuously
the predominant single antimicrobial therapy
updated (12). Pharmacists should have a role
used (15%), followed by cefazolin (9.4%),
They can play a major role through clinician
prescription was maximum in Paediatrics,
education and focused clinical services (13).
pattern in an Indian tertiary hospital has
cefotaxime and cloxacillin were the most
Table 2. The most common drug regimen used Amebiasis Metronidazole Cefazolin+Metronidazole Bromchiolitis Cefotaxime+Ampicillin 1 (12.5%) Cefuroxime Cellulites Ceftriaxone+Cloxacillin Cloxacillin Gastroenteritis Cefazolin Cefazolin+Metronidazole Ampicillin Ceftriaxone Ceftriaxone+Metronidazole+ TMP/SMX 2 (3%) Laryngitis Ampicillin Cefazolin Meningitis Ceftriaxone Ceftriaxone+Vancomycin acyclovir+ceftriaxone+vancomycin- amikacin+cefotaxime Otitis Media Ceftriaxone Gentamycin+Ceftriaxone Pneumonia Aminoglycoside+Ceftriaxone Amikacin+Ceftriaxone+Vanocomycin Erythromycin+Cefuroxime Ceftriaxone Cefuroxime Cefuroxime+Vancomycin Erythromycin+Cefuroxime+Vancomycin 1 (7%) Tonsillitis Crystalline Penicillin Ampicillin Cefuroxime Ceftraixone Ampicillin Cefuroxime Ceftriaxone Cefazolin Crystalline Penicillin Cefazolin+Gentamycin Cefuroxime Cefazolin Ceftriaxone Cefuroxime+Gentamycin Metronidazole+Amoxy/Clavul.
million children worldwide die each year
from acute respiratory illnesses, many of
rates than penicillin (24). In this study, it
Streptococcus pneumoniae are the most
was noted that most cases of tonsillitis
pneumonia (16). Mycoplasma pneumoniae
and Chlamydia pneumoniae can also
rotavirus infection (27). The cornerstone
for treatment of gastroenteritis is fluid
Antibiotic therapy use in gastroenteritis
erythromycin for 5 years and older (17).
ceftriaxone or cefotaxime ± macrolide ±
Campylobacter (Macrolides), while no
infections (30). In this study, antibiotics,
one third of the admitted patients having
gastroenteritis, although it's not indicated
stool culture makes it difficult to judge
could be used in children younger than 2
the rationality of antibiotic use in these
months of age (19) or in hospital acquired
Escherichia coli are responsible for most
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (32). In Gaza
constitute the majority of cases of URTI.
proportion of isolated pathogens causing
in tonsillitis is group A Streptococcus
infections were resistant to amoxicillin,
have faced was the non specific terms used
that a susceptibility test is a must before
in diagnosis as chest infection and upper
prescribing these agents (33). In this study, all
respiratory tract infection. Chest infection
urinary tract infected patients received
could be pneumonia or bronchiolitis, while
antibiotics either as monotherapy or as part
upper respiratory tract could be otitis media,
Physicians need to be more specific in their
generation cephalosporin, cefuroxime. In
general, the regimens prescribed for the
utilization of parenteral antimicrobial agents
Meningitis is a major cause of mortality and
among pediatrics in a pediatric ward, studies
on which are relatively lacking. This study
especially among countries where effective
may be the base for more specific research
vaccines are not available. Streptococcus
in the future. Antimicrobial agents were
used for both bacterial and viral infection.
monocytogenes are the causes of bacterial
meningitis in children younger than 3 month
diagnostic methods to differentiate between
viral and bacterial infections is suggested to
Streptococcus pneumoniae or Hemophilus influenza are the active agents in older
children (34, 35). For the management of
bacterial meningitis in patients less than 3
month old, ampicillin plus a broad spectrum
implemented were found to be according to
cephalosporine (cefotaxime or ceftriaxone)
cephalosprine alone is used in age group of
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* Corresponding author:
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