Drug prescribing patterns in pediatric urinary tract infections: A retrospective drug utilization analysis in an urban tertiary care hospital

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ABSTRACTIntroduction:A constant update of antibiotic sensitivity of pathogens of the area, country, or institution helps in interventions that would improve the prescribing pattern and rational use of drugs in children. This study aimed to assess prescribing trends for urinary tract infection (UTI), a common distressful pediatric infection in a tertiary care teaching hospital.Materials and Methods:This study was a descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional, and record-based analysis including pediatric patients aged <18 years of either gender diagnosed with UTI. The case record files retrieved from medical records department based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) disease coding were analyzed for demographics, and details of drugs including dose and route of administration, frequency, and duration of treatment with antimicrobial used and other concurrent drugs were recorded.Results:Of 42 patients included in the study, 14 (33.3%) were males and 28 (66.67%) were females. Third-generation cephalosporins were the most commonly used antibiotics (71.4%) followed by aminoglycosides (35.7%), amoxicillin clavulanate (11.9%), fluoroquinolones (7.1%), and miscellaneous (doxycycline, metronidazole, and nitrofurantoin) (9.5%). Ceftriaxone among the cephalosporins and amikacin among the aminoglycosides were the most commonly used drugs. Intravenous route was the most commonly used route of administration followed by patients who received by both intravenous and oral routes. The average duration of therapy was 4.43 ± 1.9 days.Conclusion:This study concludes that third-generation cephalosporin is used as first-line drugs irrespective of the causative agent for UTI which should ideally be reserved for complicated UTIs. Moreover, existing guidelines also indicate that the duration of antimicrobial therapy should be seven to 14 days. These results highlight the necessity for a remedial education program within the health care system designed to improve pharmacotherapy of UTI.