SARS-CoV-2 caused a surge in antibiotic consumption causing a silent pandemic inside the pandemic. A retrospective analysis of Italian data in the first half of 2022

Abstract

The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance shows no sign of stopping, despite global policies to combat it that have been in place for several years. The risk of forms of pathogenic microorganisms that are increasingly resistant to common antibiotics has led health authorities around the world to pay greater attention to the phenomenon. The worrying situation, has led to further recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and national recommendations in Italy through the new National Plan against Antibiotic Resistance 2022-2025 (PNCAR 2022-2025). This manuscript aims to raise the awareness of all health professionals to follow what is suggested by regulatory agencies and scientific societies. We conducted a retrospective study of antibiotic pharmacoutilization in Italy, in the Campania region at the Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Napoli 3 Sud, on consumption in the first half of 2022 in a population of more than 1 million people. The results indicate that consumption, based on defined daily doses (DDDs), is above the national average. Probably the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced this growth in prescriptions. Our study suggests an informed and appropriate use of antibiotics, so as to embark on a virtuous path in the fight against antibiotic resistance.