Use of Antimicrobials in a Pediatric Department

Introduction: Antibiotics constitute a pillar in the care of pediatric patients who attend hospital institutions. Objective: To characterize the use of antibiotics in hospitalized patients in the Pediatric Service of the General Teaching Hospital “Cptan. Roberto Rodríguez Fernández” from Morón, in the Ciego de Ávila province. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out between January and December 2019 in a total of 1,237 pediatric patients who met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from individual medical records. Ethical principles for human research were met. Results: In less than a quarter (22,73%) of the patients, antimicrobial therapy was applied supported by previous microbiological results. Ceftriaxone was the most widely used antibiotic (41,23%); Cefotaxime (16,57 %) and trifamox (12,21 %) followed in order. Conclusion: Third generation cephalosporins were the most widely used antibiotics. Microbiological studies prior to drug administration were low.