Researchers examined medical records of 1,488 patients at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital who received antibiotic therapy for at least 24 hours. Of those patients, 298 (20 percent) suffered an adverse drug event related to the antibiotic. Further, 20 percent of the adverse drug events were attributed to antibiotics “prescribed for conditions for which antibiotics were not indicated,” according to the study.
The most common adverse drug events were:
- Gastrointestinal abnormalities
- Renal abnormalities
- Hematologic abnormalities
Seven of the patients suffered Clostridium difficile infections.
“Our findings … lend further credence to the importance of antibiotic stewardship to optimize patient safety,” the study concludes.
More articles on antibiotic stewardship:
Blood culture identification, antibiotic stewardship lowers S. aureus patient LOS by 3 days
WHO updates guidance on antibiotic use for common infections
15 articles on antibiotic resistance published in May
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