title: Evaluation of the therapeutic use of antibiotics in Aegean Region hospitals of Turkey: a multicentric study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The antibiotic restriction policy has been validated nationwide since February 2003 by the Ministry of Health because the excessive consumption of antimicrobials causes a high cost. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic use of antibiotics in Aegean Region hospitals and to assess the impact of this nationwide antibiotic restriction policy. This new policy is based on justification that the infectious disease (ID) physicians should be primarily responsible for the prescription of antimicrobials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight university and government hospitals were included in the study. The criteria of the Council for Appropriate and Rational Antibiotic Therapy (CARAT) were considered. Both patient-based and antibiotic-based analyses were performed. For the analysis of inappropriate use, logistic regression was modeled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Therapeutic use was determined in 540 patients by a total of 29 ID physicians.In the study, 30.2% of the patients were given antimicrobials and empirically started antibiotics accounted for 79% cases of therapeutic antibiotic use, and 60% of those were inappropriate (P = 0.001). The appropriate use of ID level antibiotics (P = 0.000) were very compatible with other antimicrobial groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that the Turkish government's new intervention policy on antimicrobial prescribing has been effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izmir Bozyaka Teaching and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. ozgenc.onur@gmail.com
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozgenç
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Genç
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ari
authors.lastname: El Sibel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saçar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozunlu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akgul
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demirturk
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sungur
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Coşkuner
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergonul
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents