A Drug Utilization Study of Antibiotics in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis plays an extremely vital role in reducing in-hospital mortality. There are very few studies or data in India that document the drug utilization and prescription patterns of antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiothoracic surgery. A prospective cross-sectional study was done for 2 months in the cardiothoracic surgery department of a tertiary care hospital to evaluate the drug utilization pattern of antibiotics in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. The prescription data of 50 patients was analysed in this study. The prescription of antibiotics was as such: the primary prophylactic antimicrobial agents were always given in combination. Post-operatively, these agents were prescribed for 48-72 hours (Period A) followed by a different antibiotic regimen in Period B which lasted for an average of 4.84 days. Third generation cephalosporins(46%) were the most commonly prescribed followed by Fluoroquinolones (33%) and Aminoglycosides (13%). Multiple drug combinations and prolonged antibiotic therapy were the norms in all the cases analysed, with antibiotic prophylaxis lasting upto 5-7 days. In-hospital strategies and local guidelines must be developed to facilitate a more rational prescription of antibiotics in cardiac surgery.