Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Inpatient Antibiotic and Antifungal Drug Prescribing Volumes in Germany.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies found that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a variable impact on the consumption of antimicrobial drugs in human medicine, with trends in several European countries differing between community and inpatient prescribing.

Aim

This study analysed changes in the volumes and use density of antibacterial and antifungal drugs dispensed in acute care hospitals in Germany between 2019 and 2022.

Methods

Surveillance data for the four years available from 279 hospitals were expressed as the total volumes of daily doses or as use density (daily doses per 100 patient/occupied bed days) per year and analysed descriptively, using recommended hospital-adapted daily dose definitions (RDDs) and (as sensitivity analysis) WHO/ATC-defined da

SUBMITTER: Kern WV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11429143 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature