ArticleBMC infectious diseases2021
Point-prevalence survey of outpatient antibiotic prescription at a tertiary medical center in Sri Lanka: opportunities to improve prescribing practices for respiratory illnesses.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antibiotics Use Patterns in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review Analysis.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingPooled it
- Antimicrobial stewardship programme in Sri Lanka: insights from early implementation experience (2024-2025).The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia · 2026Review
- Antibacterial consumption in four paediatric inpatient facilities in Sri Lanka in 2023: a cross-sectional descriptive study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Gender and equity within antimicrobial resistance: a scoping review of evidence and policy in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Academic global health collaboration: the Ruhuna-Duke partnership.Global health action · 2025Article
- Prevalence and patterns of antibiotic prescriptions in Conakry hospitals, Guinea: a multicentre cross-sectional survey.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Article
- Development and assessment of the outpatient module of the Global-PPS: a standardized approach for measuring outpatient antimicrobial prescribing.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Article
- Examining the impact of treatment guidelines on outpatient antibiotic prescription trends at a cancer center in Pakistan.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2025Article
- Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tools: Strategies to Improve the Management of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Low-Resource Settings.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024Article
- Surveillance of antibiotics use in inpatients at Benjamin Mkapa Zonal Referral Hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania: a point prevalence survey.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Morbidity profile and pharmaceutical management of adult outpatients between primary and tertiary care levels in Sri Lanka: a dual-centre, comparative study.BMC primary care · 2024Article
- Article
- Investigating the drivers for antibiotic use and misuse amongst medical undergraduates-perspectives from a Sri Lankan medical school.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- High Levels of Outpatient Antibiotic Prescription at a District Hospital in Ghana: Results of a Cross Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- A national survey of antibacterial consumption in Sri Lanka.PloS one · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundInappropriate antibiotic use is linked to the spread of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, but there are limited systemic data on antibiotic utilization in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of antibiotic prescription in an ambulatory care setting in Sri Lanka.
methodsThis cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Outpatient Department of a public tertiary medical center in Southern Province, Sri Lanka from February to April 2019. Among consecutive outpatients presenting for care, questionnaires were verbally administered to a systematic random sample to capture information about patient demographics, illness characteristics, and visit outcomes. Prescription data were obtained from the outpatient pharmacy's electronic prescribing system.
resultsOf 409 surveyed patients, 146 (35.7%) were prescribed an antibiotic. The most frequently prescribed agents were amoxicillin (41 patients, 28.1% of antibiotic recipients) and first-generation cephalosporins (38, 26.0%). Respiratory indications were the most common reason for antibiotic use, comprising 69 (47.3%) of all antibiotic prescriptions. Antibiotics were prescribed for 66.1% of patients presenting with cough and 78.8% of those presenting with rhinorrhea or nasal congestion. Among all antibiotic recipients, 6 (4.1%) underwent diagnostic studies.
conclusionsA high prevalence of antibiotic prescription was observed, in particular for treatment of respiratory conditions. These data support the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship in the Sri Lankan outpatient setting.
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