Table 2.
Appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions according to the class of antibiotica
| Antimicrobial agent | Number of prescriptions (% of total) | Number of inappropriate prescriptions | Proportion of inappropriate prescriptions (95 % confidence interval) | ORb for inappropriate prescriptions (95 % confidence interval) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoroquinolones | 37 (12.1) | 18 | 0.49 (0.33–0.64) | Reference |
| Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid | 34 (11.1) | 15 | 0.44 (0.29–0.61) | 0.88 (0.34–2.29) |
| Meropenem | 28 (9.1) | 5 | 0.18 (0.08–0.36) | 0.24 (0.07–0.77) |
| Cephalosporins, second generation | 27 (8.8) | 10 | 0.37 (0.22–0.56) | 0.63 (0.22–1.74) |
| Piperacillin/tazobactam | 26 (8.5) | 8 | 0.31 (0.17–0.50) | 0.50 (0.17–1.46) |
| Glycopeptides | 22 (7.2) | 1 | 0.05 (0.01–0.22) | 0.05 (0.01–0.39) |
| Narrow-spectrum penicillinc | 19 (6.2) | 2 | 0.11 (0.03–0.31) | 0.12 (0.02–0.59) |
| Penicillins with extended spectrumd | 18 (5.9) | 3 | 0.17 (0.06–0.39) | 0.21 (0.05–0.88) |
| Macrolides | 16 (5.2) | 6 | 0.38 (0.18–0.61) | 0.75 (0.22–2.60) |
| Cephalosporins, third generation | 15 (4.9) | 2 | 0.13 (0.04–0.38) | 0.17 (0.03–0.85) |
| Metronidazole | 12 (3.9) | 2 | 0.17 (0.05–0.45) | 0.20 (0.04–1.04) |
| Aminoglycosides | 12 (3.9) | 2 | 0.17 (0.05–0.45) | 0.25 (0.05–1.34) |
| Polymyxinse | 10 (3.3) | 4 | 0.40 (0.17–0.69) | 1.00 (0.22–4.63) |
| Clindamycin | 9 (2.9) | 1 | 0.11 (0.02–0.44) | 0.13 (0.01–1.11) |
| Trimethoprim/sulfonamide | 9 (2.9) | 6 | 0.67 (0.35–0.88) | 2.00 (0.43–9.26) |
| Otherf | 13 (4.2) | 5 | 0.38 (0.18–0.64) | 0.83 (0.22–3.23) |
| Total | 307 (100) | 90 |
aEighteen prescriptions could not be assessed because of insufficient information
b OR odds ratio
cNarrow-spectrum penicillin: penicillin and flucloxacillin
dPenicillins with extended spectrum: amoxicillin and piperacillin
ePolymyxins: colistin
fOther: linezolid, nitrofurantoin, rifampicin, doxycycline, sulfadiazine