title: Antibacterial therapy in general medical wards.
abstract: Information  from a comprehensive drug surveillance programme is analysed to provide details of antibacterial drug use in medical wards. Some 28% of patients received antibacterial therapy, usually for the treatment of respiratory or urinary tract infections. The agents most frequently prescribed were ampicillin, co-trimoxazole and tetracyclines. Overall, 11% of recipients experienced one or more adverse effect of therapy. No significant bacterial growth was obtained from some 40% of specimens of sputum sent from patients. A plea is made for more rational use both of sputum culture in the investigation of patients with respiratory infection and of antibiotics in their treatment.
mesh_terms: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000009:adverse effects; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D012606:Scotland; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000009:adverse effects; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013754:Tetracyclines; D000667:Ampicillin; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole