Prescribing Trends of Antimicrobials in Obstetric and Gynaecological Inpatients: A Prospective Drug Utilization Study with Concurrent Antimicrobial Stewardship Audit from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

This study reveals that 34.2% of obstetric and gynaecological inpatients received antibiotics, with zero compliance to antimicrobial stewardship protocols, indicating a significant gap in antibiotic management.

Summary and findings

This study evaluated antibiotic prescribing patterns and antimicrobial stewardship compliance in obstetric and gynaecological inpatients at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 278 patients (34.2%) received at least one systemic antibiotic, generating 636 prescriptions with a mean of 2.29 prescriptions per patient. The study found zero compliance with antimicrobial stewardship protocols.

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4> Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Pakistan, where obstetric and gynaecological (OBGYN) patients carry high antibiotic exposure. Specialty-specific drug utilization data with concurrent stewardship audit remain scarce. This study evaluated antibiotic prescribing patterns, consumption metrics, and antimicrobial stewardship program (AMS) compliance in OBGYN inpatients at a public sector tertiary care hospital. <h4>Methods</h4> A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in OBGYN wards of Dow University Hospital, Karachi, from 1 September to 31 October 2025. Women receiving ≥1 systemic antibiotic were included. Daily AMS rounds were conducted by an Infectious Diseases physician and pharmacist. Antibiotic consumption was measured as Defined Daily Doses (DDD) and Days of Therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient-days (total = 821). Antibiotics were classified by WHO AWaRe (2023) framework. <h4>Results</h4> Of 812 total admissions, 278 patients (34.2%) received ≥1 antibiotic and were enrolled (205 obstetric, 73 gynaecological), generating 636 prescriptions (mean 2.29/patient). Surgical prophylaxis was the predominant documented indication (213, 33.5%); 65.1% carried no documented indication. By AWaRe classification, 53.6% were Access-group and 46.1% Watch-group. Ceftriaxone (38.4%) and metronidazole (36.8%) together represented 75.2% of prescriptions. Combined DDD/1,000 patient-days was 1,758.6 and DOT/1,000 patient-days was 1,852.7. AMS compliance was 0%. <h4>Conclusions</h4> This study documents high antibiotic prescribing burden, near-universal documentation failure, and zero AMS compliance in OBGYN inpatients at a Pakistani public sector hospital. The predominance of Watch-group antibiotics and undocumented surgical prophylaxis highlights structural stewardship gaps. Findings support urgent need for institutional OBGYN antibiotic guidelines and structured pharmacist-led AMS programs.

Key findings

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Limitations

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