title: A Point Prevalence Survey of Antibiotic Use in 18 Hospitals in Egypt.
abstract: Inappropriate antibiotic use leads to increased risk of antibiotic resistance and other adverse outcomes. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence and characteristics of antibiotic use in Egyptian hospitals to identify opportunities for quality improvement. A point prevalence survey was conducted in 18 hospitals in March 2011. A total of 3408 patients were included and 59% received at least one antibiotic, with the most significant use among persons <12 years and intensive care unit patients (p < 0.05). Third generation cephalosporin were the most commonly prescribed antibiotics (28.7% of prescriptions). Reasons for antibiotic use included treatment of community-(27%) and healthcare-associated infections (11%) and surgical (39%) and medical (23%) prophylaxis. Among surgical prophylaxis recipients, only 28% of evaluable cases received the first dose within two hours before incision and only 25% of cases received surgical prophylaxis for <24 h. The prevalence of antibiotic use in Egyptian hospitals was high with obvious targets for antimicrobial stewardship activities including provision of antibiotic prescription guidelines and optimization of surgical and medical prophylaxis practices.
authors.affiliation: Global Disease Detection and Response Center, US Naval Medical Research Unit, No.3, Cairo 11517, Egypt. maha.talaat.ctr.eg@med.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talaat
authors.affiliation: Global Disease Detection and Response Center, US Naval Medical Research Unit, No.3, Cairo 11517, Egypt. tamer.saeed.ctr.eg@med.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saied
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health and Population, Cairo 11516, Egypt. kandeelamr@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kandeel
authors.affiliation: Cairo University Hospitals, Giza 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Gehad A Abo
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: El-Ata
authors.affiliation: Cairo University Hospitals, Giza 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Kholy
authors.affiliation: Alexandria University Hospitals, Alexandria 21111, Egypt. hafezsoad@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Soad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hafez
authors.affiliation: Minya University Hospitals, Minya 61519, Egypt. ashrafosman31@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.affiliation: Minya University Hospitals, Minya 61519, Egypt. mat_razek@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohamed Abdel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Razik
authors.affiliation: Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo 11591, Egypt. ghada.ismail@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ghada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo 11591, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sherine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Masry
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health and Population, Cairo 11516, Egypt. Ramygalal_81@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galal
authors.affiliation: Azhar University Hospitals, Cairo 11517, Egypt. moh.yehya@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yehia
authors.affiliation: Alexandria University Hospitals, Alexandria 21111, Egypt. amira-amer@hotamil.com.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amer
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA. dpc9003@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Calfee
keywords: Egypt; antibiotic use; prevalence survey; surgical prophylaxis