Point-prevalence survey of outpatient antibiotic prescription at a tertiary medical center in Sri Lanka: opportunities to improve prescribing practices for respiratory illnesses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Inappropriate antibiotic use is linked to the spread of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, but there are limited systemic data on antibiotic utilization in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of antibiotic prescription in an ambulatory care setting in Sri Lanka.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Outpatient Department of a public tertiary medical center in Southern Province, Sri Lanka from February to April 2019. Among consecutive outpatients presenting for care, questionnaires were verbally administered to a systematic random sample to capture information about patient demographics, illness characteristics, and visit outcomes. Prescription data were obtained from the outpat

SUBMITTER: Zhang HL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7818802 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature