Inappropriate Dental Antibiotic Prescriptions: Potential Driver of the Antimicrobial Resistance in Albaha Region, Saudi Arabia

• Main Authors: Alzahrani AAH, Alzahrani MSA, Aldannish BH, Alghamdi HS, Albanghali MA, Almalki SSR
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2020-03-01
• Series: Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
• Subjects: risk management; health policy; early diagnosis; oral disease; dental service.
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/inappropriate-dental-antibiotic-prescriptions-potential-driver-of-the--peer-reviewed-article-RMHP
• ISSN: 1179-1594

Abdullah Ali H Alzahrani,1 Mohammed Sarhan A Alzahrani,2 Bander H Aldannish,3 Hani Saleh Alghamdi,3 Mohammad A Albanghali,4 Shaia Saleh R Almalki5 1Dental Health Department, Albaha University, Albaha, Saudi Arabia; 2Endodontics Department, Albaha University, Albaha, Saudi Arabia; 3Albaha Dental Center, The Saudi Ministry of Health, Albaha, Saudi Arabia; 4Public Health Department, Albaha University, Albaha, Saudi Arabia; 5Laboratory Medicine Department, Albaha University, Albaha, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdullah Ali H AlzahraniDental Health Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Albaha University, Albaha, Saudi ArabiaTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [e-mail]: The aim of this study was to analyze and evaluate dental antibiotic prescriptions in Albaha Region, Saudi Arabia.Patients and Methods: A two-year retrospective cohort study was conducted between September 1, 2017 and September 1, 2019 in children and adults. Data collected from the patients’ medical records were analyzed using SPSS. The Z-test with Bonferroni correction and descriptive proportions were utilized to compare several levels of categorical variables.Results: Of the 43,255 dental visits, antibiotics were provided during 12,573 (29.1%). The commonly prescribed antibiotics were amoxicillin and amoxicillin combined with metronidazole (56.3% and 16.9%, respectively). Alarmingly, antibiotics were provided in several conditions for which they are medically neither recommended nor indicated; together, they represented 27.8% of those consultations in which antibiotics were prescribed. Female dentists prescribed more antibiotics than male dentists (30%, P = < 0.000), with male patients receiving more antibiotics than female patients (36%, P = < 0.0001). Conclusion: Unnecessary prescription of antibiotics was observed in the present study. Improving knowledge and awareness of Saudi dentists on dental antibiotic prescription is warranted.Keywords: risk management, health policy, early diagnosis, oral disease, dental service