Prescription Pattern of Antibiotics in Febrile Patients Attending the General Medicine Department of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in North Karnataka

Abstract

Fever is one of the most common presenting complaints in outpatient and inpatient departments and frequently leads to antibiotic prescribing. Although antibiotics play a crucial role in the management of bacterial infections, irrational prescribing practices contribute significantly to antimicrobial resistance, adverse drug reactions, increased healthcare expenditure, and poor therapeutic outcomes. Prescription audit is an effective tool for evaluating prescribing behaviour and promoting rational antibiotic use. To identify commonly prescribed antibiotics among febrile patients, assess monotherapy versus combination therapy, evaluate antibiotic utilisation across different fever diagnoses, and examine adherence to standard treatment guidelines. A prospective observational prescription audit study was conducted in the General Medicine Department of a tertiary care teaching hospital in North Karnataka. A total of 500 prescriptions of febrile patients receiving antibiotics were analysed using a structured prescription audit proforma. Data regarding patient demographics, diagnosis, antibiotic prescribing pattern, route of administration, duration of therapy, monotherapy versus combination therapy, and guideline adherence were collected and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Antibiotic prescribing was highly prevalent among febrile patients. Cephalosporins, penicillins, and macrolides constituted the most frequently prescribed antibiotic classes. Monotherapy was more common than combination therapy. Significant associations were observed between fever diagnosis and antibiotic selection. While a majority of prescriptions adhered to standard treatment guidelines, variations in prescribing practices were identified.