Abstract

Dr. Sachin Darne*

ABSTRACT

Background: We all are sure for one fact that the patients suspected of having serious bacterial infections should receive antibiotic therapy as early as possible and there are grounds of concern over the delay in administration of the first dose of antibiotic. Methods: Retrospective Data Analysis of pediatrics patients files was done which covered over a period of 6 months. These Pediatrics patients had attended pediatric department in outpatients or through casualty/Emergency. These patients were admitted and later after investigations finally diagnosed as cases of Meningitis or septicemia or as other serious bacterial infections. These patients files were evaluated in the proforma given below and studied for the time of delay in administration of antibiotic since the patient was first seen. Results: The results of the study showed that of 23 total patients only 5 patients ( 22% ) had received their first antibiotic dose within 30 minutes and further total 11 patients (48 % ) had received the first dose of antibiotic since admission within 60 minutes.It is further noted that 9 patients (39%) had 2 to 3 hours of delay to get the first dose of antibiotic administered since admission and in another 3 patients (13%) had inadvertent delay of around more than 4 to 7 hours in administration of the first dose of antibiotic since admission.It was also seen that the median time of delay for administration of the first dose of antibiotic to a serious bacterial infection child since admission is of 1 hour 48 minutes, which was noted to be still more than 2 hours during day shifts and lesser than an hour in night shifts. Conclusions: It was concluded that almost half number of patients (48%) received within first hour while rest had delay from 2 to 7 hours in administering the first dose of antibiotic in all the seriousl sick children. This delay was considered to be because of multifactorial causes from duty shifts, ward transfer of patients, senior reviews, awaited investigation results and shortage of manpower.