Vancomycin Utilization Evaluation in a Major Teaching Hospital in West of Iran

Vancomycin is a potent antibiotic and has central role in the managing of infections with known resistance to other antibiotics or in patients with allergy to beta-lactams. Irrational use of vancomycin is associated with increased morbidity and mortality as well as the antibiotic resistant.

The DUE was done in Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. A total of 100 patients were included during a 6-month period. We aimed to evaluate vancomycin administration pattern and assess its compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) protocols as the primary outcome and its adverse effects as the secondary outcome.

The mean duration of hospitalization and antibiotic therapy were 22.11 ± 1.76 and 19.08 ± 1.51 respectively (mean ± SD). The most causes of vancomycin administration (51%) were for surgery prophylaxis. In 38% of patients, vancomycin administration was not in accordance to standard guidelines. Dose and duration of vancomycin therapy was according to ASHP and CDC guidelines in 74% and 59% of patients. Dose readjustments of antibiotics were necessary in 28 patients which were done in 12 of them. A total of 140 samples were collected from 60 patients. In 30% of patients, vancomycin use was continued without considering the culture results.

It is important to set practical pharmaceutical and therapeutic infection control committees in hospitals under the clinical pharmacists’ observation. Furthermore, educational programs for health care professionals regarding rational use of antibiotics can be helpful in improving antimicrobial medications utilization and monitoring.