title: Drug prescribing for TPN patients at a teaching hospital serving a developing community.
abstract: Drug prescribing for TPN patients at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital was investigated as part of a larger retrospective survey of TPN products and practices. The medical records of 45 patients who received parenteral nutrition over the period April-August 1985 were examined. Relevant information was transcribed onto survey forms, classified and analysed. The major defined complaints were gastrointestinal (50%) and perinatal (34.5%). Twelve patients had more than one major complaint. Seventy-three per cent of the patients were admitted to paediatric wards and over 24% to (adult) surgical wards. There was one medical patient in the group. The only drug categories that were prescribed in more than 10% of cases were antimicrobial agents (64.9%) and analgesics (10.4%). The most frequently used individual drugs were gentamicin (17.5%), penicillin G (14.3%), piperacillin (17%) and aminophylline (11%). The implications of this pattern of drug use for TPN patient monitoring are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000628:Aminophylline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000188:drug therapy; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D011247:Pregnancy; D013019:South Africa; D013590:Syphilis, Congenital / Q000188:drug therapy; D013742:Tetanus / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D000628:Aminophylline