Publication:

Study of drug utilization in intensive care management of neonates at tertiary care hospital

Background Newborn infants form a highly vulnerable group. Compared to adults they are more prone to adverse drug events. Exposure to multiple drugs is also known to be a leading factor in their well-being. Many advances have been made in this area, yet there is a paucity of information to guide rational prescribing in newborns. This study was conducted to evaluate the drug prescribing trends in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a tertiary care hospital in Bidar.

Methods A prospective study was undertaken, over a period of 3 months at the government teaching hospital, Bidar. Neonates of either sex admitted to NICU were included. Data collection was done by scrutinizing the inpatient case sheets and investigation reports.

Results A total of 100 neonates were admitted and 11 deaths were noted. Most common cause for admission was septicaemia. The total number of drugs prescribed was 488. The average number of drugs per prescription was 4.9. Antimicrobials were the commonest agents prescribed and intravenous route was the commonest route of drug administration. Most of the drugs were prescribed by generic names.

Conclusions In our study it was observed that polypharmacy is commonly observed practice in NICU patients. Most of the antibiotics were prescribed empirically. The dose and frequency of administration was mostly as per the standard guidelines.