title: A study of the appropriateness of antibiotic use in the medical wards of a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia.
abstract: A prospective study was conducted to determine the proportion of patients who received an antibiotic within 12 hours of admission to the medical wards. During the four-week study, 234 patients were admitted to medical wards from casualty; 68 patients (29%) received an antibiotic. The survey indicated that antibiotics were inappropriate in 22-65% of those treated. This study also shows that as many as 67% of patients who received intravenous antibiotics could have been equally well treated with oral preparations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, National University of Malaysia.
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Hooi
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cheong
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003657:Decision Making; D006760:Hospitalization; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008485:Medical Audit; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents