Assessment of aminoglycoside use in a French children hospital.

According to the guidelines of the 'Agence nationale d'accreditation et d'e valuation en sante', an interest group on antibiotherapy was formed at the Robert-Debre hospital (Paris) in order to reach accreditation requirement. Materials and methods. - Three surveys were successively carried out regard ing aminoglycoside use: one analysis of amikacine prescriptions in the most prescribing clinical wards and two surveys among nurses and physicians res pectively on prescribing, administering and monitoring aminoglycosides. Results. - On 43 amikacine prescriptions analyzed in a month, one daily dos e infusion in 30 minutes was observed in most of the patients (70 %), doses and indications matched most often the official license. Half of patients treated for more than five days had no drug level monitoring. Sample collec tion by nurses was very erratic making results obtained not interpretable. Conclusion. - Subsequently, guidelines regarding aminoglycoside use were de signed by the interest group, approved by the drug committee and sent to al l hospital prescribers and nurses. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medic ales Elsevier SAS.