Observational Analysis of Antimicrobial Agent Utilization Pattern in the Community-Acquired Pneumonia at A Tertiary Care Facility

Introduction: The escalation of community-acquired pneumonia cases amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has engendered a concerning phenomenon characterized by the unwarranted utilization of antimicrobial agents. Aims: To analyze the utilization trends of antimicrobial agents within the cohort of hospitalized individuals diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Material and methods: A prospective observational study was conducted for 6 months within the Department of Medicine to investigate patients diagnosed with CAP. Detailed records of drug prescriptions were meticulously recorded, with subsequent computation of both the Daily Defined Dose (DDD) and Antibiotics Consumption Index (ACI). A dataset comprising information from 130 patients was meticulously examined and subsequent analysis conducted. Descriptive statistical analyses were undertaken to utilize both Microsoft Excel and SPSS software version 27. Results: The predominant empirical therapy for antibacterial agents was found to be amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, utilized by 73 (56.2%) patients, succeeded by levofloxacin, administered to 33 (25.4%) patients. Following culture and sensitivity testing, the most frequently employed antibacterial agents for definitive therapy included levofloxacin for 33 (25.4%) patients. Notably, the highest Antibiotics Consumption Index (ACI) value recorded was 14.4 for amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in empirical therapy, while in definitive therapy, levofloxacin exhibited an ACI of 14.8. A significant disparity in ACI values between empirical and definitive therapy was observed (p<0.05), signifying statistically meaningful differences. Conclusions: The findings of the current investigation accentuate a discernible trend in the administration of antibiotics for managing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) within the Medicine Department amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: Community Acquired Pneumonia (Cap), Antibiotics Consumption Index (Aci), Defined Daily Dose, Antimicrobial Utilization Pattern, Antimicrobial Agents