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Volume 4, Issue 4

Evaluation of the rate, pattern and appropriateness of antibiotic prescription in a cohort of pilgrims suffering from upper respiratory tract infection during the 2018 Hajj season Open Access

Abstract

Hajj is associated with an increased risk of the transmission of infectious diseases including upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). It can be a focal point for the emergence, persistence and dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. The overuse of antibiotics during Hajj can promote the development of antimicrobial resistance. Little information is known regarding the true appropriateness of prescribing antibiotics for treating URTIs during Hajj. Here we studied the rate, patterns and appropriateness of antibiotic prescription among a cohort of pilgrims who were treated for URTIs during the 2018 Hajj season. Adult pilgrims who sought medical services for URTIs [presenting with coryza, runny nose, nasal irritation, nasal congestion, cough, sore throat, headache or fever (even if subjective)] within the Holy sites were enrolled in this study and consented to provide swabs and medical information. A total of 121 pilgrims were enrolled, with the majority (60.3 %) originating from North African Arab countries. Most were male (89.3 %) with a median age of 45 years. Bacterial infections were detected in 7.3 % (=9) of the URTI cases. The identified bacteria included (=6, all resistant to ampicillin), (=2), (=1, resistant to oxacillin) and (=1, resistant to ampicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole). The antibiotic prescription rate was 52.1%, most of which was amoxicillin (81 %). The data demonstrated that the proportion of appropriate practices in treating bacterial URTIs in this cohort was 45.5 %. This study highlights the need for implementing laboratory identification of the aetiological agents and related AMR profiles when treating URTIs in Hajj, rather than relying on clinical assessment alone.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): antibiotic , appropriateness , Hajj , prescription and upper respiratory tract infection
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • King Abdullah Medical City
    • Principle Award Recipient: B. OthmanHala
© 2022 The Authors
  • This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
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2022-04-25
2024-04-24
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Evaluation of the rate, pattern and appropriateness of antibiotic prescription in a cohort of pilgrims suffering from upper respiratory tract infection during the 2018 Hajj season
Access Microbiology 4, 000338 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1099/acmi.0.000338
/content/journal/acmi/10.1099/acmi.0.000338
/content/journal/acmi/10.1099/acmi.0.000338
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