With dwindling number of new
antibiotics and inappropriate use of
antibiotics , the emergence and spread of
antibiotics resistance occurs commonly in
healthcare institutions worldwide. In
China ,
antibiotics are commonly over prescribed and misused. This study is to assess the effect of the nationwide special campaign on
antibiotic stewardship program (
ASP ) at specialized
hospitals in
China by investigating
prescription information from 2011 to 2012. Data on the
hospital consumption and
prescription of systemic
antibiotics were obtained from four specialized
hospitals , including maternity,
children 's, stomatological and
cancer hospitals . Systematic random sampling was used to select
outpatient prescriptions and
inpatient cases. A total of 105 specialized
hospitals in 2011 and 121 specialized
hospitals in 2012 were analysed. The defined daily doses (DDDs) per 100
inpatient days, the percentage of
antibiotic use in
outpatient prescriptions , and the percentage of
antibiotic use in
inpatient cases were used as measurements of
antibiotic use. The overall
antibiotic use density in the selected
hospitals decreased between 2011 and 2012 from 39.37 to 26.54
DDD /100
inpatient days (P<0.001). The percentage of
antibiotic use in
outpatient prescriptions (range 24.12%-18.71%, P=0.109) and
inpatient cases (64.85%-60.10%, P=0.006) also decreased within the two years. Significant changes were observed among regions and different
hospitals within the two years. And
antibiotic consumption was correlated with the type and size of specialized
hospital in 2012, but not with the regions. This
analysis of
antibiotic consumption of specialized
hospitals allows relevant comparisons for
benchmarking and shows that national
ASP has improved
antibiotic rational use in
China . The data
will assist policymakers in formulating effective
strategies to decrease
antibiotic overuse and identify areas that require further
work .