Vol. 1, Issue 7 (2012)

Author(s):
Amit Singh Gangwar*, Neeraj Kumar, Preeti Kothiyal

Abstract:
Patients admitted to the ICU are seriously ill and often suffer from chronic critical illnesses. Antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed drugs among hospitalized patients especially in intensive care and surgical department. Antibiotic to resistance of common hospital-acquired bacteria is a worldwide problem.  It can lead to increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and healthcare expenditures. An ICU of a developing country where health costs are borne by the patients and to some extent the hospitals, it is causing a huge economic burden. Institutions elsewhere in the world have enhanced patient care through therapeutic optimization of the use of antimicrobial agents through the use of antibiotic restriction policies implemented widely throughout the hospital. Knowledge of an ICUs most common bacterial isolates and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns facilitates effective empirical antibiotic therapy and supports decisions to restrict or reduce the clinical availability of certain antibiotics.