Loading
Nosocomial Infections in ICU · Journal article
International Journal of Science and Technology Research Archive · August 28, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This is a single-centre, retrospective descriptive audit of outpatient antimicrobial dispensing over 13 months at a secondary care hospital in Sri Lanka, integrated with local communicable disease surveillance data. The study reports utilization patterns and disease trends descriptively without analytical comparison, hypothesis testing, or intervention, and serves as a baseline for quality improvement rather than evidence of efficacy or safety.
Retrospective descriptive pharmacoepidemiological study. All patients attending the Outpatient Department at Base Hospital, Maha Oya (a secondary care hospital in Eastern Sri Lanka) who were dispensed antimicrobial medicines during the 13-month study period. No patient-level eligibility criteria or exclusion criteria reported.. Intervention: No intervention; retrospective audit of antimicrobial dispensing practices. Base Hospital, Maha Oya, Eastern Sri Lanka.
34 antimicrobial preparations (antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents) were dispensed through the outpatient pharmacy during the study period Antibacterial agents constituted the largest proportion of overall antimicrobial utilization Amoxicillin and co-amoxiclav were the most frequently utilized medicines
34 antimicrobial preparations (antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents) were dispensed through the outpatient pharmacy during the study period
This descriptive audit identifies baseline patterns of outpatient antimicrobial use and local disease burden to support targeted stewardship interventions, but does not directly inform individual clinical decisions or demonstrate the impact of any intervention. Clinicians should view this as a needs-assessment tool for their institution rather than evidence guiding antimicrobial prescribing.
A descriptive retrospective pharmacy audit from a single secondary care centre with no comparator group, reporting utilization patterns and disease trends without analytical testing or intervention outcomes.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
This descriptive audit identifies baseline patterns of outpatient antimicrobial use and local disease burden to support targeted stewardship interventions, but does not directly inform individual clinical decisions or demonstrate the impact of any intervention. Clinicians should view this as a needs-assessment tool for their institution rather than evidence guiding antimicrobial prescribing.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Background: Antimicrobial agents have transformed the management of infectious diseases and remain among the most frequently prescribed medicines worldwide. However, inappropriate utilization of antimicrobials has become one of the principal drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), threatening the effectiveness of modern healthcare. The outpatient setting accounts for a substantial proportion of antimicrobial consumption, making it an important focus for antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Although Sri Lanka has strengthened national policies on antimicrobial stewardship and AMR containment, evidence describing outpatient antimicrobial utilization, particularly in secondary care hospitals, remains limited. Furthermore, few studies have attempted to interpret antimicrobial utilization alongside local communicable disease epidemiology. Objective: To describe the pattern of outpatient antimicrobial utilization at Base Hospital, Maha Oya over a thirteen-month period. Methods: A retrospective descriptive pharmacoepidemiological study was conducted using routinely maintained pharmacy dispensing records of the Outpatient Department (OPD) at Base Hospital Maha Oya, Sri Lanka. Monthly utilization data for all antimicrobial medicines, including antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents, dispensed between June 2025 and June 2026 were extracted and analysed. Quarterly communicable disease surveillance reports covering the corresponding period were reviewed to summarize disease trends within the hospital's catchment area. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize antimicrobial utilization, while temporal comparisons between quarterly antimicrobial utilization and communicable disease notifications were performed descriptively. Results: During the study period, 34 antimicrobial preparations comprising antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents were dispensed through the outpatient pharmacy. Antibacterial agents constituted the largest proportion of overall antimicrobial utilization, with amoxicillin and co-amoxiclav being the most frequently utilized medicines. Monthly utilization demonstrated noticeable temporal variation throughout the study period. Communicable disease surveillance data identified chickenpox, dengue fever, leptospirosis and tuberculosis as the predominant notifiable diseases reported within the hospital catchment area. Conclusion: This study provides baseline evidence regarding outpatient antimicrobial utilization in a secondary care hospital in Sri Lanka and demonstrates the value of integrating pharmacy utilization data with communicable disease surveillance. The findings highlight opportunities for strengthening antimicrobial stewardship programmes, promoting rational antimicrobial use, and supporting evidence-based prescribing policies within secondary healthcare institutions.
Taken from the source record, never inferred. Follow any of these and new work involving them reaches your briefing.