The Use of Antibiotics in the Pediatric Cardiology Unit; Assiut University

Abstract

Introduction: Inappropriate prescription of antibiotics, dosage, and administrationcan lead to an increase in morbidity and mortality among pediatric patients.There are different indications for the use of antibiotics in the management ofcongenital and acquired heart diseases, such as rheumatic fever (RF), infectiveendocarditis (IE), pericarditis, and pneumonia in patients with congenital heartdisease (CHD).Aim and Objectives: To audit the use of antibiotics in the Pediatric CardiologyUnit, Assiut University Children's Hospital, and to evaluate their adherence to theguidelines of their use in patients with rheumatic fever, infective endocarditis,pericarditis, and pneumonia in patients with CHD.Patients and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 200patients admitted to the Pediatric Cardiology Unit at Assiut University Children'sHospital. They received antibiotics as a part of their management plan forrheumatic fever, infective endocarditis, pericarditis, or pneumonia with CHD forone year, from October 2019 to September 2020.Results: Our study included 200 patients,118 male and 82 female, with an agerange of 31 days to 15 years with a median age of 8 months. Antibiotic use wasadherent to guidelines in 100% of patients when used as a prophylaxis againstrheumatic fever, 50% of patients for eradication of streptococcal infection,68.5% of the patients prepared to cardiac catheterization as a prophylaxis againstinfective endocarditis, 100% of the patients with infective endocarditis, 75% ofpatients with pericarditis and 68.8% of patients with pneumonia and CHD.Conclusion: The antibiotic therapy used adhered to the guidelines in 69% ofpatients.