AI Article Synopsis
- A significant number of surgical patients (50-60%) are prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to prevent gastrointestinal bleeding, despite many being at low risk for such complications.
- An audit over 4 months reviewed 89 surgical inpatients, revealing that 73% were on PPI therapy but only 30% had a proper indication for their use.
- The majority of PPI prescriptions (70%) were found to be inappropriate, raising concerns about unnecessary costs and potential negative health effects.
Article Abstract
Aim Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently prescribed to surgical patients (50-60%) to prevent gastrointestinal bleeding. However, most surgical patients are at low risk of significant bleeds. The aim of this audit was to identify inappropriate PPI prescribing, if any, in a cohort of surgical inpatients. Methods This was a prospective analysis completed over a 4 month period. Data was collected via review of clinical notes and drug charts. The audit standard was the consensus guideline on indications for PPI use issued by Scarpignato et al (2016). Results In total 89 patients were included (n = 89). 73% were on PPI therapy. 30% had a documented indication for therapy which was concordant with recommendations. However, the majority of PPI prescriptions (70%) were inappropriate. Conclusion PPIs are frequently prescribed to surgical patients without an appropriate indication. Indiscriminate use of these drugs has implications in the form of costs and potential complications.
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