Evaluation of Piperacillin/Tazobactam Inappropriate Antibiotic Use in a UAE Rehabilitation Centre

Piperacillin/Tazobactam is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is frequently used in hos-pitals for its effectiveness against a variety of bacterial infections. However, its misuse or overuse can lead to significant clinical and public health issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of piperacillin/tazobactam usage in a UAE hospital setting. Methods: A retrospective, observational and cross sectional study was conducted. The study recruited all patients admitted to the hospital who have been prescribed Piperacillin/Tazobactam as an empiric therapy from Jan 2021 to Apr 2023. Patients’ medical records were retrospectively studied and reviewed. The appropri-ateness of the Pip/Taz use was evaluated according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) as well as the local hospital guidelines. Results: A total of 100 pa-tients’ prescriptions were ordered and reviewed. The main indications for initiation of Pip/Taz were UTIs and Sepsis by 30% and 18%, respectively. The overall rate of the empirical therapy inappropriateness was 38%. The inappropriate use of Pip/Taz pre-scriptions were either due to lack of bacterial culture request after starting empiric therapy (18%), continuing Pip/Taz despite bacterial resistance (8%), incorrect dosing for renal patients (7%), continuing Pip/Taz despite negative culture result (4%) and wrong dose (1%).Conclusion: This research study has revealed that the overall rate of Pip/Taz inappropriate use was high. This highlights the need to develop targeted initi-atives to overcome overprescribing of such broad spectrum antibiotics and ensure its long term effectiveness.