Methods: This cross-sectional study involved patients over age 3 years old who presented with URTI to the green zone of the ED of a tertiary hospital on the east coast of Malaysia in 2018-2019. Convenient sampling was done. The patients were categorised into two groups according to their McIsaac scores: positive (≥ 2) or negative (< 2). Antibiotics given to the negative McIsaac group were considered inappropriate.
Results: A total of 261 cases were included - 127 with positive and 134 with negative McIsaac scores. The most common symptoms were fever and cough. About 29% had inappropriate antibiotic prescribing with a high rate for amoxycillin. Duration of symptoms of one day or less (OR 18.5; 95% CI: 1.65, 207.10; P = 0.018), presence of chills (OR 4.36; 95% CI: 1.13, 16.88; P = 0.033) and diagnosis of acute tonsillitis (OR 5.26; 95% CI: 1.76, 15.72; P = 0.003) were significantly associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescription.
Conclusion: Factors influencing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing should be pointed out to emergency doctors to reduce its incidence.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A. hydrophila and E. tarda were isolated using glutamate starch phenol red and xylose lysine deoxycholate (Merck, Germany) as a selective medium, respectively. All the suspected bacterial colonies were identified using conventional biochemical tests and commercial identification kit (BBL Crystal, USA). Susceptibility testing of present bacterial isolates to 16 types of antibiotics (nalidixic acid, oxolinic acid, compound sulfonamides, doxycycline, tetracycline, novobiocin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, sulfamethoxazole, flumequine, erythromycin, ampicillin, spiramycin, oxytetracycline, amoxicillin, and fosfomycin) and four types of heavy metals (mercury, chromium, copper, and zinc) were carried out using disk diffusion and two-fold agar dilution method, respectively.
RESULTS: Three hundred isolates of A. hydrophila and E. tarda were successfully identified by biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing results showed that 42.2% of the bacterial isolates were sensitive to compound sulfonamides, sulfamethoxazole, flumequine, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, and oxolinic acid. On the other hand, 41.6% of these isolates were resistant to novobiocin, ampicillin, spiramycin, and chloramphenicol, which resulted for multiple antibiotic resistance index values 0.416. Among tested heavy metals, bacterial isolates exhibited resistant pattern of Zn(2+) > Cr(6+) > Cu(2+) > Hg(2+).
CONCLUSION: Results from this study indicated that A. hydrophila and E. tarda isolated from coinfected farmed red hybrid tilapia were multi-resistant to antibiotics and heavy metals. These resistant profiles could be useful information to fish farmers to avoid unnecessary use of antimicrobial products in the health management of farmed red hybrid tilapia.
AIM: To assess the efficacy, safety and compliance of an H. pylori eradication regimen and examine clinical factors that potentially determine eradication.
METHODS: Consecutive outpatients from a multicultural, south east Asian, population with H. pylori infection, with or without peptic ulcer, were treated with lansoprazole 30 mg, amoxycillin 1 gm, clarithromycin 500 mg, twice a day for seven days. Eradication was assessed by either rapid urease, histology or urea breath test. Compliance and side effects were recorded. The eradication rate and effect of ethnicity, age, sex, usage of alcohol, smoking and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, history of ulcer and endoscopic diagnosis on eradication were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis.
RESULTS: Of 113 patients, the eradication rate by intention to treat was 98/113 (87%) (95% confidence interval [CI] 80-93%) and per protocol was 98/106 (92%) (95% CI 87-97%). Using Fisher's exact test, eradication was more successful in Chinese (intention to treat and per protocol respectively p=0.02 and p<0.001) compared to non-Chinese. By logistic regression analysis ethnicity was an independent factor associated with eradication success (p=0.0025). Side effects occurred in five (4.4%), resulting in cessation of treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: This one week eradication regimen is safe and effective in south east Asians. Chinese ethnicity may be associated with a higher likelihood of eradication success.
PATIENTS: Patients selected had unequivocal evidence of H. pylori infection based on the urease test, culture and histology and had either peptic ulcer disease or non-ulcer dyspepsia.
DESIGN: The study was a comparative and double-blind study and patients were randomized to receive either amoxycillin 750 mg t.i.d. and metronidazole 500 mg t.i.d. for 12 days or amoxycillin 1000 mg b.i.d. and metronidazole 500 mg b.i.d. for 12 days. Both groups also received famotidine 40 mg for 6 weeks.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Patients were assessed for successful eradication, defined as absence of bacteria in all tests, at least 4 weeks after completion of antibiotic therapy by repeat gastroscopy.
RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine patients were recruited for the study. Two patients defaulted follow-up, two patients were withdrawn from the study and six patients were found to be non-compliant with medications. The eradication rates of the t.i.d. regimen was higher than the b.i.d. regimen (per protocol (PP) analysis: 83.3% (50/60) vs. 76.3% (45/59), P=0.337; intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis: 78.5% (51/65) vs. 75.0% (48/64), P=0.642). Seventy-five patients had pre-treatment cultures checked for metronidazole resistance, 33 (44.0%) were found to be resistant. Acquired resistance occurred in 3/40 (7.5%) patients. Eradication rates of metronidazole-sensitive and metronidazole-resistant patients: t.i.d. regimen - 100% (17/17) and 88.2% (15/17), b.i.d. regimen - 19/21 (90.5%) and 11/15 (73.3%). Side effects were reported in up to 70% of patients but were mild and tolerable in the majority. Two patients were withdrawn from the study because of a fixed drug eruption in one and generalized macular rash in the other.
CONCLUSION: Combination amoxycillin and metronidazole is effective in eradicating H. pylori. There was a tendency for the t.i.d. regimen to be better than the b.i.d. regimen and for metronidazole-resistant infections to be associated with a lower eradication rate but these differences did not reach statistical significance.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective study with purposive sampling, amoxicillin/clavulanate tablet formulations for canine use were collected in four countries (wholesalers or veterinary practice) and shipped to a central bioanalytical laboratory. Twenty-four samples were collected from the UK (nine), Malaysia (nine), Serbia (four) and Thailand (two), yielding 18 different formulations (10 veterinary). Packaging inspection, tablet disintegration and content assay were conducted (validated high-performance liquid chromatography with ultra-violet detection); content was acceptable when within the 90% to 120% pre-specified range (US Pharmacopeia).
RESULTS: Secondary packaging was present for 13 of 24 samples and primary packaging integrity was verified for all but one sample. Amoxicillin trihydrate/potassium clavulanate label ratio was 4:1, except for three formulations (2:1). Tablet dose strength ranged from 250 to 625 mg. All formulations contained both analytes. For amoxicillin, two of 24 samples were out of specification with 72.8% (Malaysia) and 82.3% (Thailand) of labelled content. For clavulanate, four of 24 samples were out of specification with 46.9% (Serbia), 79.0% (UK), 84.3% (Serbia) and 86.5% (Thailand) of labelled content. One formulation (Thailand) failed for both analytes.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Antimicrobial formulations of substandard quality have negative consequences for efficacy in patients and potentially promote antimicrobial resistance. There was evidence of substandard formulations in all countries, not only for amoxicillin but especially for clavulanate; this could compromise equitable access to acceptable quality essential veterinary medicines worldwide.
METHODS: This was an open-label, prospective, multicentre, randomized trial. Three hospitals where the current protocol was to administer prophylactic amoxycillin-clavulanic acid served as the sites of recruitment. Women who delivered vaginally beyond 24+ 0 weeks of gestation with ragged membranes were invited to participate in the trial and randomized into prophylaxis or expectant management with medical advice by blocks of 10, at a 1:1 ratio. A medication adherence diary was provided and patients followed up at 2 weeks and 6 weeks postpartum.
RESULTS: A total of 6569 women gave birth vaginally in three centres during the trial period, of which 10.9% had ragged membranes. The incidence of endometritis was not significantly raised in women with or without prophylaxis (0.90% vs 0.29%; p = 0.60). All cases of endometritis presented within the first 2 weeks and preventive use of antibiotics did not ameliorate the severity of endometritis since rates of ICU admission, surgical evacuation and transfusion were comparable.
CONCLUSION: Preventive use of antibiotics after vaginal delivery in women with ragged placental membranes did not result in a reduction of endometritis. Educating women on the signs and symptoms of endometritis would suffice. Based on the reported incidence of ragged membranes, a change in practice would result in 1500 less prescriptions of antibiotics per annum in these three centres.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03459599 (Retrospectively registered on 9 March 2018).
METHOD: The cross-sectional study was conducted at community pharmacies located within a two-kilometer radius of a teaching hospital from August to November 2022. A total of 82 community pharmacies registered with the Nepal Chemist and Druggists Association and the Department of Drug Administration were studied. Data was collected using a standard proforma containing the names of the antibiotics classified as per the WHO's AWaRe classification.
RESULTS: Access group of antibiotics, Ampicillin, (82;100%), Amoxycillin, (82;100%), Flucloxacillin, (82;100%), and Metronidazole, (82;100%) were available in all community pharmacies. Results from the watch group showed that Azithromycin, (80; 97.6%) was available in all pharmacies followed by Cefixime, (80; 97.6%), Ciprofloxacin, (73; 89%), Levofloxacin, (74; 90.2%)and Ofloxacin, (74; 90.2%). Linezolid, (24; 29.3%) was the most common antibiotics available from the reserve group of antibiotics. Colistin was the second commonly available antibiotic. The most available antibiotic from the not recommended group were Ampicillin/Cloxacillin (82; 100%), followed by Piperacillin/Sulbactam, (39; 47.6%). There were differences in the classification of antibiotics between the WHO AWaRe list and the Essential Medicines list of Nepal in terms of numbers of antibiotics listed.
CONCLUSION: Antibiotics from the not recommended and reserve groups were commonly available in community pharmacies. The implementation of antibiotic guidelines should be emphasized along with strict monitoring of the sale of antibiotics without a prescription in community pharmacy settings.