Antibiotic use in Kenyan public hospitals: Prevalence, appropriateness and link to guideline availability.

Objective: To examine prescription patterns and explore to what extent guidelines are available and how they might influence treatment appropriateness among hospitalised patients in Kenyan hospitals.

Methods: Data on antimicrobial usage were collected from hospitalised patients across 14 Kenyan public hospitals. For each prescription, appropriateness of treatment was defined using available local and international treatment guidelines and through consensus with local medical specialists.