Background of Infectious Diseases Consultations: Dealing With Side Effects

Abstract

AIM: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the consultations requested from the Department of Infectious Diseases due to antibiotic side effects and to convey real-life experience. BACKGROUND: Antibiotic side effect management is gaining importance day by day due to reasons such as the increasing average age of the patient population, multiple drug use due to comorbidities, and combined antibiotic treatments due to resistant microorganisms. Knowing the side effect profile of antibiotics frequently used in daily practice and reporting side effects are very important for infectious disease specialists. METHODS: All consultations requested from the Infectious Diseases Department in our center were evaluated retrospectively, and the necessary information about the patients and medications in the consultations requested due to antibiotic side effects were recorded in a Microsoft Excel file. RESULTS: 16.05% (22/137) of the patients had a previous history of antibiotic allergy. The frequency order of the antibiotics with side effects is shown in the table (Table 1). While 21.1% (29/137) of the antibiotics with side effects were original molecules, 78.8% (108/137) were equivalent products. The distribution of side effects observed in patients is shown in the table. (Table 2) The average time for patients to develop side effects after antibiotics was 4.99 (± 5.69) days. CONCLUSIONS: It may be possible to combat antibiotic resistance and possible side effects by increasing the rational use of antibiotics. Side effect reporting is important in this fight.

Keywords

• antibiotic
• side
• effect