Rational use of antibiotics and covariates of clinical outcomes in patients admitted to intensive care units of a tertiary hospital in Kenya.

OBJECTIVES: Rational use of antibiotics implies appropriate choice of an antibiotic administered at correct dose, frequency, and duration using the most suitable route of administration. Irrational antibiotics use is associated with antimicrobial resistance, drug failure, and high mortality in the critical care units (CCUs). This study sought to establish rational use of antibiotics and determinants of clinical outcomes of patients admitted to the CCUs at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). The findings would guide policy formulation of antibiotics use in hospital CCUs in Kenya and the region. METHODS: Retrospective review of 220 admissions to the KNH CCUs over the period February 2018-February 2020 was conducted. Participants' sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, antibiotics therapy, and outcome of admission were extracted from patient files and analyzed using STATA version 23. Determinants of irrational antibiotic use and covariates of clinical outcomes were computed at 95% confidence. RESULTS: The prevalence of rational use of antibiotics was only 18.5%. Inappropriate choice of antibiotics (51.0%) and incorrect duration (32.3%) were the most common irrational practices. Flucloxacillin (100%), cefuroxime (93.3%), cefazolin (85.7%), and ceftriaxone (83.0%) were the most irrationally used antibiotics. Irrational use of ceftriaxone was significantly associated with clinical diagnosis (p = 0.012), while that of amoxiclav was associated with patient risk category (p = 0.039). Mortality in the CCUs was 10%, and the odds of dying were almost six times among intubated patients compared to those who were not (AOR 5.5, 95% CI = 1.1-28.1, p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Irrational antibiotics prescribing is high in the KNH CCUs, attributable largely to incorrect choice and wrong duration of antibiotic use. Mortality was significantly associated with intubation. Intensification of management in critical care settings should be directed toward intubated patients while ensuring appropriate choice of antibiotics administered for the correct duration. Future studies should explore factors that could promote rational antibiotics use in critical care settings. BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are important in the management of infections. Therefore, they should be used properly as guided by the 5Rs of antimicrobials use, namely, right choice of antibiotic for a particular disease, administered at the right dose, for the right duration, at the right frequency via the right route of administration. AIM: We sought to establish the extent to which the use of antibiotics adheres to the established guidelines in the treatment and prevention of infections among patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Kenya. METHODS: We reviewed and analyzed medical records of 220 patients admitted in the KNH ICUs in the period between February 2018 and February 2020. FINDINGS: Antibiotics were used properly in only 18.5% of the cases. Unsuitable choice of antibiotics (51.0%) and incorrect duration (32.3%) were the major contributors to improper use. Flucloxacillin (100%), cefuroxime (93.3%), cefazolin (85.7%), and ceftriaxone (83.0%) were the most inappropriately used antibiotics. Approximately 10% of those admitted to the ICU died. Further, the probability of dying was almost six times among intubated patients compared to those who were not. CONCLUSION: The use of antibiotics in the KNH CCUs is not in tandem with established guidelines, owing to inappropriate selection and wrong duration of use. Though death was associated with intubation, more studies are needed to find out factors promoting appropriate antibiotics use in the ICUs so that clinicians can follow them in the treatment of patients.

Factors impacting on diabetes knowledge, medication adherence and glycemic control among adult diabetics visiting a county teaching and referral hospital in Kenya: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: optimal management of diabetes involves interplay between patients' understanding of their disease and medication adherence, which would eventually influence glycemic control. However, there is scant published literature on the interconnection of patient related factors that impact on optimal management of diabetes in resource-limited settings such as Kenya. METHODS: a hospital based cross-sectional survey involving 270 freely consenting adult diabetics investigated the interconnection between diabetes knowledge, medication adherence and glycemic control. Data on the patient´s knowledge and medication adherence was collected using validated tools whilst glycemic control was evaluated using the patients' glycated haemoglobin values. Data analysis was carried out using STATA version 13 statistical software, employing the chi square test for association and simple linear regression for prediction, with p ≤0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: participants´ level of knowledge on diabetes was significantly associated with the academic achievement (p=0.001), while their medication adherence was significantly associated with family support (p=0.001) and duration of disease since diagnosis (p=0.019). On linear regression, family support occasioned by the nature of participants' household setup, had a strong positive correlation [r=0.99 (CI 0.60-1.00)] with optimal glycemic control. CONCLUSION: family support is an important determinant of medication adherence and optimal glycemic control among diabetic patients. Clinicians should team up with family members of diabetic patients for optimal glycemic control.

Profiles of patients on warfarin anticoagulation therapy in a leading tertiary referral hospital in Kenya; findings and implications for Kenya.

Background: Patients' profiles affect the outcome with warfarin; however, this data, and its implications, is scarce in resource-poor countries without access to pharmacogenetics or regular INR testing.Objectives: To characterize the profiles of patients on long-term warfarin therapy and subsequently use these to guide future anticoagulation management.Methods: Cross-sectional study among 180 adult patients receiving warfarin therapy in at a leading referral hospital in Kenya. Sociodemographic characteristics were obtained through face-to-face interviews. Details of warfarin therapy, concomitant medication and comorbidities were retrieved from medical records. Associations between patients' profiles and the clinical indications of anticoagulation were computed at p ≤ 0.05.Results: Warfarin maintenance dose was 6.17 (±2.75) mg per day. Venous thromboembolism (56.6%) amongst obese patients (p = 0.0019) and cardioembolic events (48.3%) among males (p = 0.0316) aged ≤50 years (p = 0.0436) whose body mass indices were ≤ 25 (p < 0.0001) were the most common indications. Two-fifths and 45.0% of the patients had at least one other disease and concomitant medications.Conclusions: Long term warfarin therapy among Kenyans is mainly for overweight or lean middle-aged individuals suffering from venous or cardioembolic diseases. Studies should correlate patients' profiles with warfarin response to guide future management.

Medication-related problems among adult chronic kidney disease patients in a sub-Saharan tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are prone to medication-related problems (MRPs). Few studies address the clinical relevance of MRPs among CKD patients in sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency and predictors of MRPs among adult CKD patients treated at a tertiary care facility in an urban sub-Saharan setting. SETTING: Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. METHOD: A cross-sectional study involving 60 adult patients with CKD was carried out. Data were collected through structured interviews and patient chart reviews between April 2016 and June 2016. MRPs identified from the collected data were classified according to Hepler and Strand classification. The frequencies of the identified MRPs were computed and logistic regression used to investigate the associations between the MRPs and covariates in the data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: frequencies and predictors of MRPs. RESULTS: 271 MRPs were identified. The commonest MRPs were drug interactions (21.8%), indication without drug (18.1%) and medication non-adherence (15.5%). Compared to patients with CKD stage 3, patients with CKD stage 4 were 5.9 times more likely to have an improper drug selection and 4.7 times more likely to experience overdosage. Other significant predictors of MRPs were the number of medications per prescription and the number of comorbidities per patient. CONCLUSION: This study found a high frequency of MRPs among patients with chronic kidney disease receiving care in urban sub-Saharan tertiary hospital settings. The predictors of MRPs among CKD patients in this setting are likely to be multifactorial and include the CKD stage, polypharmacy, and comorbidities.