Antibiotic use and good practice in 314 French hospitals: The 2010 SPA2 prevalence study

Abstract Objectives We aimed to assess antibiotic prescriptions to identify potential targets for improvement. Methods We conducted a point prevalence survey (November 2010) of antibiotic use in 314 voluntary hospitals recruited by the French Infectious Diseases Society (SPILF) and the National Observatory for Epidemiology of Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobials (ONERBA). Data were entered online, immediately analyzed and exported. Results The prevalence of antibiotic use was 19.5% (9059/46,446 patients). A higher prevalence was observed in the infectious disease (58.4%), hematology (58%), and intensive care (48.7%) units. The three most frequently used antibiotic classes were aminopenicillins (23.8%), fluoroquinolones (17.9%), and 3rd-generation cephalosporins (16.7%). A monotherapy was prescribed to 64% of patients. The reasons for the antibiotic prescription were written in the medical records of 74% of patients and 62% were consistent with the local guidelines. Conclusion Our results are similar to that of other studies. Various local targets for improvement have been identified to help hospitals define a better antibiotic stewardship.