Drug utilization pattern in an intensive care unit at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Oman

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the drug prescribing trends in the intensive care unit (ICU) and correlate them with the disease patterns and patients’ outcomes. Methods: The case records of patients admitted to the ICU at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, a teaching hospital in Oman, during a 5-month period between June 1^st and October 31^st 2013 were analyzed. The variables collected included demographic and clinical characteristics as well as duration of hospitalization, indications, and utilization of different drugs. Results: A total of 138 patients were evaluated with an average age of 46±19 years. The average length of stay at ICU was 4.5±3.5 days. The average number of drugs per prescription was 8.0±4.6. The most common route used was the parenteral route (66%) followed by the enteral route (25%). Anti-infective drugs were the most commonly prescribed class of drugs (25%) followed by gastrointestinal drugs (20%). Antibiotics accounted for 12% of the total drugs prescribed. Trauma was the most common indication for the admission to the ICU (22%). Conclusion: Drugs prescription patterns in the ICU appeared to be similar to those reported in previous studies. However, prescription protocols need to be addressed to guide appropriate use of drugs in the ICU setting.