title: Use and misuse of antimicrobial agents in a general hospital in the AIDS era.
abstract: A prevalence study was carried out to ascertain the pattern of antimicrobial use, costs and relevance in a general hospital during the AIDS era. All patients receiving antimicrobials were studied. Antimicrobials were divided into antibacterial drugs and others and the costs evaluated in US dollars. Of 1526 patients surveyed, 455 (29.8%) were receiving 664 courses of antimicrobials: 109 (7.2%) as prophylaxis and 346 (22.6%) as treatment. Fifteen percent of courses involved non-antibacterial drugs. In 188 patients (40.9% of those treated) treatment was inadequate, usually because of incorrect drug choice. Daily cost of antimicrobials was $14953. AIDS accounted for 3% of all patients, 9% of those receiving antimicrobials, 19.7% of antimicrobial usage and 9.6% of the antimicrobial expenditure. Misuse occurred in 43% of non-HIV patients and 17% of those with HIV. Thus, despite a disproportionate contribution of patients with AIDS, adequacy of use of antimicrobials was better in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General 'Gregorio Marañón', University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Lechuz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cruz Menárguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Créixems
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouza
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents