Abstract

MTHETHWA, SR  and  MATJILA, SA. Antibiotic prescribing practices of dentists at Medunsa Oral Health Centre. S. Afr. dent. j. [online]. 2018, vol.73, n.8, pp.520-526. ISSN 0375-1562.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2519-0105/2018/v73no8a6.

INTRODUCTION: Inappropriate prescribing and excessive use of broad spectrum antibiotics are reported to be leading contributors to the development of antimicrobial resistance worldwide AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine the antibiotic prescribing practices of dentists in Medunsa Oral Health Centre. The range of conditions for which antibiotics were prescribed was identified and the characteristics of antibiotic prescribing were described. The prescription practices were investigated for concurrence with available evidence. DESIGN: A retrospective, cross-sectional descriptive study in which existing medical records were reviewed METHODS: Medical records of patients who received medication from the dispensary during March 2017 were reviewed Data in the health history questionnaire and data related to demographic characteristics, condition(s) diagnosed, procedure carried out and medication prescribed were extracted. Information from recent independent reviews and individual studies was reviewed to assess the alignment of prescribing practice with available evidence. References in retrieved review articles were used to identify additional studies. RESULTS: Healthy patients comprised 74.6% of the study participants. Perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for dental extractions accounted for 59.1% of the prescriptions. Amoxicillin 500mg, three times a day, was prescribed most frequently (74.5% CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate prescribing for healthy patients is a common feature of the antibiotic prescribing practice at MOHC

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