Audit of prescription of anti-malarial prophylaxis to patients admitted to Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) following evacuation from Afghanistan.
BACKGROUND
For most of the year Military personnel deployed to Afghanistan are required to take anti-malarial chemoprophylaxis (AMC). This audit aims to quantify how many personnel taking AMC in theatre have it continued at RCDM.


METHODS
A database kept at RCDM was searched for details of all evacuated patients. Records of these patients were then searched to find out which had been admitted, how many had been taking AMC prior to admission and how many were prescribed it in hospital.


RESULTS
During the study period 40 patients were evacuated to RCDM. 26 of these were admitted and had notes available and were therefore included in the study. 9 of these had been taking AMC prior to admission; of them, only 4 had been continued on AMC by the time they were admitted to RCDM.


CONCLUSIONS
Insufficient numbers of patients taking AMC prior to admission have it continued as an inpatient. Awareness of this issue needs to be raised at all points of the medical evacuation chain.
Penn-Barwell
J
J
Orthopaedic Surgery, West Midlands Deanery.
Pengelly
S
S
D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000346:Afghanistan; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006760:Hospitalization; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008485:Medical Audit; D008889:Military Personnel; D010360:Patient Transfer; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D006113:United Kingdom
D000962:Antimalarials