ArticleAntimicrobial resistance and infection control2022
Antibiotic use in township hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shandong, China.
Article in Antimicrobial resistance and infection control, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance analysis of staphylococcus aureus isolated from women, children and neonates in a maternal and child specialty hospital in Southeast China.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on early life gut microbiome.Gut microbes · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hospital Antimicrobial Purchasing in Canada (2018-2021): An Exploratory Analysis.Journal of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada = Journal officiel de l'Association pour la microbiologie medicale et l'infectiologie Canada · 2025Article
- Trends of antibiotic use for acute upper respiratory infections in Chinese emergency departments and the impact of COVID-19: a cross-sectional study.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Article
- Determining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of antibiotics in Shaanxi province, China: an interrupted time-series analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Antibacterial consumption before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary care pediatric hospital in Mexico.PloS one · 2025Article
- Is Antimicrobial Stewardship Policy Effectively Implemented in Polish Hospitals? Results from Antibiotic Consumption Surveillance before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Antibiotic Prescriptions and Resistance in a University Hospital from Romania.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on patterns of drug utilization: A case study at national hospital.PloS one · 2024Article
- A Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Use at Geita Regional Referral Hospital in North-Western Tanzania.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The COVID-19 Pandemic Enhanced the Decade-Long Trend of the Decreasing Utilization of Antibiotics.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe overuse of antibiotics in primary healthcare settings (PHSs) has caused a serious public health problem in China. The outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic brought about dramatic changes in the supply of and demand for medical services in PHSs, possibly resulting in unprecedented changes in antibiotic use.
objectiveThis study aims to assess the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the changes in antibiotic consumption in PHSs.
methodThe data on antibiotic consumption were collected from selected township hospitals in Shandong, China from January 2019 to December 2021. Antibiotic consumption was quantified by using the defined daily doses (DDDs) and the WHO Access, Watch, Reserve category. A segmented regression model was established to analyze the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic use by using the interrupted time series analysis.
resultsThe overall antibiotic consumption in all PHSs decreased by 32.04% and 16.69% in 2020 and 2021 respectively compared to the corresponding period in 2019. Over the entire study period, the use of penicillins (J01C) and cephalosporins (J01D) accounted for more than 50% of the total antibiotic consumption. The average annual consumption of Watch category antibiotics decreased by 42.02% and 33.47% in 2020 and 2021 respectively compared to that in 2019. According to the interrupted time series analysis, the total antibiotic consumption decreased significantly immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (coef. = - 2.712, p = 0.045), but it then increased significantly over a long-term (coef. = 0.205, p = 0.005). Additionally, the consumption of Access category antibiotics increased significantly in PHSs in the long-term (coef. = 0.136, p = 0.018). However, the consumption of Watch category antibiotics declined sharply immediately after the pandemic (coef. = - 1.222, p < 0.001), but then it increased slightly over a long-term (coef. = 0.073, p < 0.001).
conclusionThe extensive use of penicillin and cephalosporins should be of great concern. After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the total antibiotic consumption decreased generally and the use pattern was improved to some extent in the PHSs in Shandong, China. This provides an opportunity for improving the misuse of antibiotics in PHSs in China.
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