ArticleBMJ open2023
Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology.
Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in healthcare and community settings in West Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Improving antibiotic utilization in West Africa: enhancing interventions through systematic review and evidence synthesis.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Pooled it
- Surveillance Data Use Through the Fleming Fund: Informing Action on Antimicrobial Resistance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026Review
- Prevalence and determinants of microbiologically unconfirmed healthcare-associated infections among hospitalized patients in Western Sierra Leone, 2024: a point prevalence survey.Infection prevention in practice · 2026Article
- A multicenter point-prevalence survey of antibiotic utilization patterns in Ethiopia: implications for strengthening stewardship programs.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Antimicrobial Use at a Tertiary-Care Hospital in Türkiye According to the WHO Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) Classification: A Point Prevalence Survey.Infectious diseases & clinical microbiology · 2025Article
- Fighting antimicrobial resistance in a resource-limited setting: an integrated approach to infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship is the 'best buy'.The Journal of hospital infection · 2025Article
- Antimicrobial Stewardship Impact on Antibiotic Use in Three Tertiary Hospitals in Zambia: A Comparative Point Prevalence Survey.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Antibiotic use at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Zone d'Abomey Calavi/Sô-Ava (CHUZ/AS) in Benin: a point prevalence survey.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Article
- WHO-Point prevalence survey of antibiotic use in a Senegalese tertiary care hospital.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Point Prevalence Survey of Antibiotic Use in Level 1 hospitals in Zambia: Future Prospects for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs.Infection and drug resistance · 2025Article
- A Point Prevalence Survey of antibiotics use patterns at Tanga Regional Referral Hospital in Tanzania.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2025Article
- Antibiotic use and adherence to the WHO AWaRe guidelines across 16 hospitals in Zambia: a point prevalence survey.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2024Article
- Antimicrobial use in hospitalized patients: a point prevalence survey across four tertiary hospitals in Niger.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2024Article
- Surveillance of antibiotics use in inpatients at Benjamin Mkapa Zonal Referral Hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania: a point prevalence survey.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Assessment of antimicrobial stewardship programmes and antibiotic use among children admitted to two hospitals in Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2024Article
- Pharmacovigilance Strategies to Address Resistance to Antibiotics and Inappropriate Use-A Narrative Review.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
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Authors and funding
21 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveInappropriate use of antibiotics is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. A few studies conducted in Africa have documented that about half of hospitalised patients who receive antibiotics should not have received them. A few hospital-based studies that have been conducted in Sierra Leone have documented a high usage of antibiotics in hospitals. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide point prevalence survey on antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone.
designWe conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional survey on the use of antibiotics using the WHO point prevalence survey methodology.
settingThe study was conducted in 26 public and private hospitals that are providing inpatient healthcare services.
participantsAll patients admitted to paediatric and adult inpatient wards before or at 08:00 on the survey date were enrolled. OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of antibiotic use, antibiotics Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) categorisation, indication for antibiotic use prevalence and proportion of bacteria culture done.
resultsOf the 1198 patient records reviewed, 883 (73.7%, 95% CI 71.1% to 76.2%) were on antibiotics. Antibiotic use was highest in the paediatric wards (306, 85.7%), followed by medical wards (158, 71.2%), surgical wards (146, 69.5%), mixed wards (97, 68.8%) and lowest in the obstetrics and gynaecology wards (176, 65.7%). The most widely prescribed antibiotics were metronidazole (404, 22.2%), ceftriaxone (373, 20.5%), ampicillin (337, 18.5%), gentamicin (221, 12.1%) and amoxicillin (90, 5.0%). Blood culture was only done for one patient and antibiotic treatments were given empirically. The most common indication for antibiotic use was community-acquired infection (484, 51.9%) followed by surgical prophylaxis (222, 23.8%).
conclusionThere was high usage of antibiotics in hospitals in Sierra Leone as the majority of patients admitted received an antibiotic. This has the potential to increase the burden of antibiotic resistance in the country. We, therefore, recommend the establishment of hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes according to the WHO core components.
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