STUDY THE COST OF ANTIMICROBIALS THERAPY USED IN POST-OPERATIVE SURGICAL PATIENTS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Background: Antimicrobials are used for prophylaxis and treatment of infections that occur following surgical procedures to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with surgical site infections (SSIs). A surgical site infection is an infection that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place. These are infections of the tissues, organs, or spaces exposed by surgeons during the performance of an invasive procedure. Objective: To assess the cost of antimicrobials therapy used within different types of surgeries. Methods: A prospective, non-interventional, observational study in the department of pharmacology for 9 months. Sample size: 330. Results: In our study clean 113 (34%), dirty 102 (31%), and clean-contaminated 90 (27%) wound surgeries were the most commonly performed surgeries. Contaminated wound surgeries were the least commonly performed surgeries (8%) in our study. The cost of antimicrobial therapy in patients with clean-contaminated (median-220), contaminated (median-352), or dirty wound surgeries (median-546) was significantly high as compared to clean wound surgeries (median-160). Also the cost of antimicrobial therapy in patients with dirty wound surgeries is significantly high as compared to clean contaminated wound surgeries. Conclusion: Total duration of antimicrobial therapy, number, and cost of antimicrobial used was more in clean-contaminated, contaminated, dirty wound surgeries than clean wound surgeries. SSI increases cost, antimicrobial use and resistance. A higher economic burden of antimicrobials was observed in patients with wound infection than those without wound infection.