During the recent pandemic, the fact that the clinical manifestation of COVID-19 may be indistinguishable from bacterial infection, as well as concerns of bacterial co-infection, have been associated with an increased use of antibiotics. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of targeted antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) on the use of antibiotics in designated COVID-19 departments and to compare it to the antibiotic use in the equivalent departments in the same periods of 2018 and 2019. Antibiotic consumption was assessed as days of treatment (DOT) per 1000 patient days (PDs). The COVID-19 pandemic was divided into three periods (waves) according to the pandemic dynamics. The proportion of patients who received at least one antibiotic was significantly lower in COVID-19 departments compared to equivalent departments in 2018 and 2019 (Wave 2: 30.2% vs. 45.6% and 44.9%, respectively; Wave 3: 30.5% vs. 47.8% and 50.1%, respectively, p < 0.001). The DOT/1000PDs in every COVID-19 wave was lower than during similar periods in 2018 and 2019 (179-282 DOT/1000PDs vs. 452-470 DOT/1000PDs vs. 426-479 DOT/1000PDs, respectively). Moreover, antibiotic consumption decreased over time during the pandemic. In conclusion, a strong ASP is effective in restricting antibiotic consumption, particularly for COVID-19 which is a viral disease that may mimic bacterial sepsis but has a low rate of concurrent bacterial infection.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, antibiotic stewardship, DOT (days of treatment), 【초록키워드】 Treatment, pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic, Patient, Bacterial infection, viral disease, bacterial co-infection, antibiotic use, Bacterial sepsis, antibiotic, Wave, ASP, significantly lower, effective, proportion, use of antibiotics, 【제목키워드】 Program, Tertiary,