Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology

Objective Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. A few studies conducted in Africa have documented that about half of hospitalised patients who receive antibiotics should not have received them. A few hospital-based studies that have been conducted in Sierra Leo...

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Main Authors: Innocent Nuwagira, Sulaiman Lakoh, Zikan Koroma, James Baligeh Walter Russell, Sia Morenike Tengbe, Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara, Joseph Kanu, Anna Maruta, Bobson Derrick Fofanah, Kadijatu Nabie Kamara, Bockarie Sheriff, Victoria Katawera, Selassi A D'Almeida, Robert Musoke, Rugiatu Z Kamara, Abdul Razak Mansaray, Fawzi Thomas, Onome T Abiri, Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma, James Squire, Mohamed Alex Vandi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e078367.full
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author Innocent Nuwagira
Sulaiman Lakoh
Zikan Koroma
James Baligeh Walter Russell
Sia Morenike Tengbe
Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara
Joseph Kanu
Anna Maruta
Bobson Derrick Fofanah
Kadijatu Nabie Kamara
Bockarie Sheriff
Victoria Katawera
Selassi A D'Almeida
Robert Musoke
Rugiatu Z Kamara
Abdul Razak Mansaray
Fawzi Thomas
Onome T Abiri
Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma
James Squire
Mohamed Alex Vandi
author_facet Innocent Nuwagira
Sulaiman Lakoh
Zikan Koroma
James Baligeh Walter Russell
Sia Morenike Tengbe
Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara
Joseph Kanu
Anna Maruta
Bobson Derrick Fofanah
Kadijatu Nabie Kamara
Bockarie Sheriff
Victoria Katawera
Selassi A D'Almeida
Robert Musoke
Rugiatu Z Kamara
Abdul Razak Mansaray
Fawzi Thomas
Onome T Abiri
Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma
James Squire
Mohamed Alex Vandi
author_sort Innocent Nuwagira
collection DOAJ
description Objective Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. A few studies conducted in Africa have documented that about half of hospitalised patients who receive antibiotics should not have received them. A few hospital-based studies that have been conducted in Sierra Leone have documented a high usage of antibiotics in hospitals. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide point prevalence survey on antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone.Design We conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional survey on the use of antibiotics using the WHO point prevalence survey methodology.Setting The study was conducted in 26 public and private hospitals that are providing inpatient healthcare services.Participants All patients admitted to paediatric and adult inpatient wards before or at 08:00 on the survey date were enrolled.Outcome measures Prevalence of antibiotic use, antibiotics Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) categorisation, indication for antibiotic use prevalence and proportion of bacteria culture done.Results Of the 1198 patient records reviewed, 883 (73.7%, 95% CI 71.1% to 76.2%) were on antibiotics. Antibiotic use was highest in the paediatric wards (306, 85.7%), followed by medical wards (158, 71.2%), surgical wards (146, 69.5%), mixed wards (97, 68.8%) and lowest in the obstetrics and gynaecology wards (176, 65.7%). The most widely prescribed antibiotics were metronidazole (404, 22.2%), ceftriaxone (373, 20.5%), ampicillin (337, 18.5%), gentamicin (221, 12.1%) and amoxicillin (90, 5.0%). Blood culture was only done for one patient and antibiotic treatments were given empirically. The most common indication for antibiotic use was community-acquired infection (484, 51.9%) followed by surgical prophylaxis (222, 23.8%).Conclusion There was high usage of antibiotics in hospitals in Sierra Leone as the majority of patients admitted received an antibiotic. This has the potential to increase the burden of antibiotic resistance in the country. We, therefore, recommend the establishment of hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes according to the WHO core components.
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spelling doaj-art-8e7fafe26f2d4a94922afbbe48ef4bea2025-08-20T02:11:24ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-12-01131210.1136/bmjopen-2023-078367Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodologyInnocent Nuwagira0Sulaiman Lakoh1Zikan Koroma2James Baligeh Walter Russell3Sia Morenike Tengbe4Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara5Joseph Kanu6Anna Maruta7Bobson Derrick Fofanah8Kadijatu Nabie Kamara9Bockarie Sheriff10Victoria Katawera11Selassi A D'Almeida12Robert Musoke13Rugiatu Z Kamara14Abdul Razak Mansaray15Fawzi Thomas16Onome T Abiri17Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma18James Squire19Mohamed Alex Vandi20World Health Organisation Country Office Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneCollege of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneSierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneDepartment of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine And Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneSierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneReproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health Unit, Universal Health Coverage Life Course Cluster, World Health Organisation Country Office Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneNational Disease Surveillance Programme, Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organisation Country Office Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneIPC/AMR, World Health Organisation Country Office Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneNational Surveillance Program, Directorate of Health Security and Emergencies, Ministry of Health, Freetown, Sierra LeoneUniversal health Coverage Life Course Cluster, World Health Organisation Country Office Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneUniversal health Coverage Life Course Cluster, World Health Organisation Country Office Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneUniversal health Coverage Life Course Cluster, World Health Organisation Country Office Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneEmergency Preparedness and Response, World Health Organization Country Office, Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneUS Center for Disease Control and Prevention Country Office, Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneLaboratory, Diagnostic and Blood Services, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeonePharmacovigilance and Clinical Trials, Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeonePharmacovigilance and Clinical Trials Department, Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneNational Surveillance Program, Directorate of Health Security and Emergency, Government of Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneGovernment of Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneGovernment of Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneObjective Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. A few studies conducted in Africa have documented that about half of hospitalised patients who receive antibiotics should not have received them. A few hospital-based studies that have been conducted in Sierra Leone have documented a high usage of antibiotics in hospitals. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide point prevalence survey on antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone.Design We conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional survey on the use of antibiotics using the WHO point prevalence survey methodology.Setting The study was conducted in 26 public and private hospitals that are providing inpatient healthcare services.Participants All patients admitted to paediatric and adult inpatient wards before or at 08:00 on the survey date were enrolled.Outcome measures Prevalence of antibiotic use, antibiotics Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) categorisation, indication for antibiotic use prevalence and proportion of bacteria culture done.Results Of the 1198 patient records reviewed, 883 (73.7%, 95% CI 71.1% to 76.2%) were on antibiotics. Antibiotic use was highest in the paediatric wards (306, 85.7%), followed by medical wards (158, 71.2%), surgical wards (146, 69.5%), mixed wards (97, 68.8%) and lowest in the obstetrics and gynaecology wards (176, 65.7%). The most widely prescribed antibiotics were metronidazole (404, 22.2%), ceftriaxone (373, 20.5%), ampicillin (337, 18.5%), gentamicin (221, 12.1%) and amoxicillin (90, 5.0%). Blood culture was only done for one patient and antibiotic treatments were given empirically. The most common indication for antibiotic use was community-acquired infection (484, 51.9%) followed by surgical prophylaxis (222, 23.8%).Conclusion There was high usage of antibiotics in hospitals in Sierra Leone as the majority of patients admitted received an antibiotic. This has the potential to increase the burden of antibiotic resistance in the country. We, therefore, recommend the establishment of hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes according to the WHO core components.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e078367.full
spellingShingle Innocent Nuwagira
Sulaiman Lakoh
Zikan Koroma
James Baligeh Walter Russell
Sia Morenike Tengbe
Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara
Joseph Kanu
Anna Maruta
Bobson Derrick Fofanah
Kadijatu Nabie Kamara
Bockarie Sheriff
Victoria Katawera
Selassi A D'Almeida
Robert Musoke
Rugiatu Z Kamara
Abdul Razak Mansaray
Fawzi Thomas
Onome T Abiri
Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma
James Squire
Mohamed Alex Vandi
Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology
BMJ Open
title Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology
title_full Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology
title_fullStr Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology
title_full_unstemmed Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology
title_short Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology
title_sort antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in sierra leone a national point prevalence survey using the who survey methodology
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e078367.full
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