Evaluation of emergency department physicians’ quinolone using habits in the treatment of urinary tract infections

Abstract

Objectives: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a commonly encountered infectious disease in the emergency department, and quinolones have gradually become more frequently used in the treatment of UTI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the “quinolone utilization” habits of emergency department physicians for the treatment of UTI.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, a total of 56 physicians (43 males (76.8%), 13 females (23.2%); mean age 31.2±4.5) working in emergency departments of 18 distinct hospitals in various cities, were surveyed regarding their use of quinolones for UTI.
Results: Eighty seven percent of the physicians stated that UTI was the most common diagnosis that they preferred quinolones. 33.9% stated that they obtained a urine culture prior to any antibiotic treatment, whereas 37.5% stated that they only obtained a urine culture prior to administration of quinolones. Most participants stated that they took into consideration the “efficacy” for the choice of treatment. The “cost” of treatment was considered the least. Physicians, who take into consideration the financial condition of the patients while prescribing a drug, stated that in the past year, they prescribed a cheaper drug to approximately 37.5±22 patients, because patients could not afford the originally chosen drug. Generally, there was no difference between specialists and practitioners regarding their answers to the questions.
Conclusion: This study shows that physicians working in emergency departments tend to prefer quinolones mostly for treatment of UTI and as an empirical treatment. It also revealed that cost of treatment affected physicians’ choice of the drug in a majority of cases.