Publication:

A prospective observational study of drug prescription pattern of antibiotics in diabetic foot ulcer in tertiary care teaching hospital

Background Our aim was to study a prescribing pattern of antibiotics used in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU).

Methods 50 patients were selected by inclusion and exclusion criteria basis. It was a prospective observational study conducted in Department of Surgery, Rajah Muthiah Medical College Hospital (RMMCH), Annamalai University.

Results This study reveals that male patients 60% are more prone to develop diabetic foot ulcer than the female patients 40%. Patients of 50 to 60 age group 32% has higher prevalence of DFU. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics are metronidazole 48% and cefotaxime 48% followed by piperacillin and tazobactam combination 30%, ciprofloxacin 20%, linezolid 18%, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid combination 12%, cefixime 6%, clindamycin 4%, amikacin 4%, faropenam 4%, ceftriaxone 2%, amoxicillin 2%, gentamicin 2%, cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam combination 2%.

Conclusions Lack of antibiotic sensitivity test leads to growth of organism, wrong antibiotic selection and irrational use of antibiotics. And also observed patient developed resistance to linezolid antibiotic when used as a first choice of drug to treat diabetic foot infection including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infected patients.