Prescrição de antimicrobianos no Hospital Infantil Sul “Antonio María Beguez Cesar”, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 2024

Objectives: To characterize the prescription of broad-spectrum antimicrobials in the “Dr. Antonio María Beguez Cesar” children's hospital in the first half of 2024. Materials and methods: It is a study of the use of antimicrobial prescription medications where a drug or group of drugs is selected and the indications for which they are prescribed are analyzed. The variables studied in the prescriptions were: active ingredient(s) of the medications, clinical diagnosis, dose and quantity. These prescriptions were analyzed from a quantitative and qualitative point of view. Some inappropriate prescription patterns were identified: Extravagant prescription, insufficient prescription, absolute overuse and relative overuse. The dosage was considered adequate or inadequate according to the recommendations of our national drug formulary. Results: The most prescribed were: ceftriaxone, trifamox and meropenem in that order. Regarding the indications: community-acquired pneumonia, healthcare-associated pneumonia and complicated postoperative period are the most frequent. The dosage of these antimicrobials is mostly within the recommended ranges. Regarding inappropriate prescriptions, we found a total of 33 for 2.28%. Conclusions: The prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics is generally adequate, the antibiotics prescribed and the indications for which they are prescribed are in accordance with international standards.