OBJECTIVES: . To assess antibiotic prescribing patterns and quantify antibiotic use in secondary care hospitals in South India using a point prevalence survey, and to generate baseline data to support antimicrobial stewardship initiatives and national AMR surveillance efforts. METHODS: . A point prevalence survey (PPS) was conducted between April-September 2025 across 12 secondary care hospitals in India. All inpatients present at 8:00 am on the survey day were included. Data included patients' characteristics, antimicrobials received, and therapeutic indications. RESULTS: . Among the 359 patients surveyed, 196 (54.6%) received at least one antibiotic, with hospital-level prevalence ranging from 24% to 100%. Most antibiotics were administered parenterally (84.8%), and respiratory infections (20.9%) were the leading indication. Empirical therapy accounted for 53.1% of prescriptions. Broad-spectrum antibiotics, predominated. Culture sensitivity testing was documented in 28% of cases, reflecting limited microbiological support. AMS programs were largely absent. According to WHO AWaRe classification, 74.2% of prescriptions were from Watch group, and only 22.1% from Access. CONCLUSION: . Antibiotic use in secondary care hospitals shows high variability and suboptimal practices, underscoring the need for strengthened AMS, improved diagnostics, and better guideline adherence.
Rajendran et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: