Peer-reviewed article
Uses of Ceftriaxone and its Adverse Effects in Pediatric patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Ramesh Yadav, Hemsagar Rimal, Santosh Upadhyaya Kafle, Ashok Kumar Yadav ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This descriptive study looked at how the antibiotic ceftriaxone was used in 140 children admitted to the pediatrics department of Birat Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Nepal. It recorded the reasons for use, doses, duration, outcomes and side effects. Respiratory conditions were the most common reason for use, followed by renal and infectious causes. Pain at the injection site was the most frequent side effect. The authors conclude that the drug was used for many conditions at varying doses and durations, and that its use often did not follow microbiological test results.
Key points
- Ceftriaxone was the most commonly used antibiotic across a variety of conditions.
- Indications were respiratory causes (41.2%), renal causes (22.2%) and infectious causes (17.8%).
- Pain was the most common adverse effect (37.1%), followed by induration and tenderness at the injection site (20%), nausea and vomiting (7.1%) and hypersensitivity (6.4%).
- Outcome and complications differed significantly between children with severe malnutrition and children with normal nutrition, by age group (<5 years and >5 years).
- Use in various conditions did not follow microbiological isolation status.
Limitations
This is a single-hospital observational study with no comparison group, so it cannot show whether ceftriaxone was effective or whether the adverse effects were caused by the drug. The abstract does not give details of the malnutrition comparison or the direction of the differences.
Abstract
Introduction: Ceftriaxone is a sterile, semi-synthetic, broad spectrum third generation parenteral β - lactam antibiotic of cephalosporin group. It has a lot of indications in pediatric clinical practice. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the uses of inj. Ceftriaxone, dose, duration, outcome and adverse effects of ceftriaxone as a whole among children admitted in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: A descriptive prospective type of observational study was conducted at pediatrics department of Birat medical college and teaching hospital (BMCTH). One hundred and fourty patients were enrolled. Data were recorded in a detailed pre-designed data collection sheet by interviewing them or their parents, the treating physician and the nursing staff during the initial visit and also during the follow up. Results: Ceftriaxone was the most commonly used antibiotic in varieties of conditions. Regarding indications respiratory causes (41.2%) followed by renal causes (22.2%) and infectious causes (17.8%). There was significant difference in outcome and complication in severe malnutrition and normal nutrition children by age group <5 years and >5 years. Pain was the most common adverse effect observed in 37.1%, indurations and tenderness at the injection site (20%), nausea and vomiting (7.1%) and hypersensitivity (6.4%). Conclusion: The drug was used in wide range of indications in variable doses and duration. However, its use in various conditions do not follow the microbiological isolation status. Pain, nausea, vomiting, induration, hypersensitivity and others were the commonly encountered adverse effects.