Antibacterial therapy for patients with COVID-19 in outpatients care

Abstract

Objective: to assess the frequency and nature of prescribing antibiotics to patients with confirmed COVID-19 at the outpatient stage.Material and methods: a survey was conducted of 104 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and their medical records were analyzed. Patients received treatment in various outpatient facilities in the city of Saratov.Results: most of the patients sought medical help 6-7 days after the onset of the disease. Most patients (65-62.5%) had a mild course of COVID-19, and moderate and severe course was found in 28 (26.9%) and 11 (10.6%) patients, respectively. Before seeking medical help, 87 (83.6%) patients began to receive antibiotics on their own. After visiting the doctor, antibiotics were additionally prescribed to 6 more patients who had not previously taken them. Most often, aminopenicillins (17 patients), macrolides (49 patients), respiratory fluoroquinolones (27 patients) and cephalosporins (41 patients) were used. Combinations of two and sometimes three antibiotics were used in 46 (44%) patients. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were azithromycin (44 patients), levofloxacin (27 patients), and parenteral antibiotic ceftriaxone (41 patients).Conclusion: in patients with an established diagnosis of COVID-19, a fairly frequent use of antibacterial drugs at the outpatient stage was revealed. The overwhelming majority of patients (83.6%) started using ABP on their own, before seeking medical help. Moreover, 44% of patients received combinations of two or three drugs. There are currently no convincing data on the feasibility of such a widespread use of ABP in outpatient practice in the vast majority of patients with diagnosed COVID-19.