Abstract
Background: Use of antibiotics in special population like children is not same as adult. Pediatric age group will have difference in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety of drugs. In children, the maturity of major organs will be in developing stage which would affect the absorption, metabolism, distribution, and excretion of drugs. Hence, irrational prescription of drugs may lead to many adverse effects ranging from mild to severe. In developing countries like India, we do not have much unbiased information on the currently used drugs. Hence, the current study focused on antibiotic use among pediatric population using data from a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Aim and Objectives: The objectives of the study were as follows: (i) To observe antibiotic prescription trends in in-patients of pediatric ward and (ii) to analyze rationality of antibiotic prescription.

Materials and Methods: It is a prospective observational study which was conducted over a period of 1 year. Institutional Ethics Committee approval was taken before conducting the study. The data of inpatients of pediatric ward were collected in a separate well-designed preform. Inpatients with age group of 0–14 years were included in the study.

Results: Out of 1050 patients, 471 were below the age group of 1 year, 220 patients were between 1 and 5 years, and 359 patients were above the age of 5 years. The percentage of patients with antibiotic prescribed was 92.1%. Respiratory tract infections were predominantly seen among children, especially bronchopneumonia was seen in 6.6% of the patients. Among the antibiotics, amikacin (483) was most commonly prescribed followed by cefotaxime (414) and ceftriaxone (301).

Conclusion: In our study, we have found that antimicrobials were most commonly used drugs in the form of injectable. To prevent development of antimicrobial resistance, there is necessary of antibiotic policy in each and every hospitals of India.

Key words: Antimicrobial Pattern; Rational Prescription; Respiratory Infections