Antibiotic control in a municipal hospital
R. A. Recco, J. L. Gladstone, S. A. Friedman and E. H. Gerken
The choice of an antibiotic for a patient is often a difficult decision.
The clinician must contend with a bewildering variety of bacteria and use a
number of expensive and toxic antimicrobial agents judiciously. To deal
with the problems of excessive and inappropriate use, the medical staff of
Coney Island Hospital established compulsory, prospective antibiotic
control. Two years after initiation of this program, we analyzed changes in
sensitivity patterns of hospital flora, physicians' prescribing habits and
antibiotic use. A trend toward increasing resistance on the part of some
Gram-negative isolates to certain beta-lactam antibiotics was noted.
Antibiotic costs decreased an average of 38%, while prescribing skills
improved.
