Antibiotic use in pediatric patients admitted to a referral hospital in Botswana.

Inappropriate antimicrobial drug use is well described for hospitalized patients in the United States. Antibiotic use in hospitals in developing countries is less well documented. We evaluated the antibiotics prescribed to 91 pediatric inpatients in Botswana. The results showed that the duration of prescribed therapy can be excessive. Recommendations for potential interventions to reduce antibiotic overuse in this setting are necessary.