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Pattern of antibiotic usage by adult populations in the city
of Benin, Nigeria
Yah S. Clarence1*, Yusuf O. Edrin2
and Eghafona N. Odeh3
1Department
of Microbiology, College of Science and Technology, Covenant
University, Km 10 Idiroko Road, Canaan Land, Ota, Ogun
State, Nigeria.
2Department
of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of
Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
3Department
of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of
Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author: E-mail:
yahclar@yahoo.com.
Phone: +2348053336108 or +2348063418265.
Accepted 13
February, 2008 |
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Inappropriate use of antibiotics may play a major role in the
development and spread of antibiotics resistant bacteria.
Against this background, questionnaires were administered
for utilization of antibiotic usage among some Nigerians in
Benin. There were 3435 respondents made up of 743 (21.6%)
housewives, 467 (13.6%) taxi drivers, 892 (26.0%) students,
288 (8.4%) teachers, 85 (2.5%) lawyers, 741 (21.5%) traders
and 219
(6.4%) others. The questionnaires revealed that 43.1% and
56.9% of the populace took full and incomplete regimens,
respectively. The commonly prescribed antibiotics were
ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and tetracycline.
The least prescribed were cefotaxime, pefloxacin and
ciprofloxacin while methicillin and vancomycin were not
prescribed at all. There was no significant difference
(p>0.05) between the mean prevalently used antibiotics. It
was also found that lawyers, teachers, students took
antibiotics without prescription even for unspecified
ailments, which contradicts the WHO guidelines on the usage
of antibiotics.
Key
words:
Antibiotics usage, Nigerian populace. |
