Evaluation of Antibiotic Utilization Pattern During Acute Diarrheal Disease at Chefa-Robit Health Center, Kemissie, North East Amhara, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that the majority of the acute diarrheal diseases are viral in origin and self-limited, routine and injudicious antibiotic treatment is a common practice globally and more prevalent in Africa. Indeed, the irrational use of antibiotics has a detrimental effect on the issue of antibiotics resistance and associated healthcare costs. Accordingly, a health center-based cross-sectional study is mandatory and was conducted due to the common malpractice of antibiotics use. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibiotic use pattern in the treatment of acute diarrheal disease in Chefa-robit health center, Kemissie, Northeastern Ethiopia. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the antibiotic utilization pattern for the treatment of acute diarrheal disease. Data was collected from 230 patients’ record cards treated for acute diarrheal disease from January 2018 to December 2018 using structured questionnaires. The finding is presented using frequency distribution and percentages in tables as well as figures. RESULTS: Among the 230 patients, 49.60% were males and the rest were females. From the total, 172 of them were with watery type of diarrhea and 132 of them were prescribed antibiotics inappropriately out of which 77 were under 5 years. In addition, 27 patients were diagnosed with mucoid diarrhea and only eight of them were treated with antibiotics whereas 31 patients were with bloody type of diarrhea and 10 of them were not treated with antibiotics. Of the 230 cases, 161 (70%) patients received different types of antibiotics, and co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin were the most prescribed antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that there is a high level of inappropriate antibiotics use which may fuel the increased antimicrobial resistance and associated costs nationally as well as globally.