Аңдатпа
Antimicrobials play an important role in modern medicine, but growing resistance to them poses a significant threat to global health. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this problem due to the widespread and often unjustified use of antibiotics, which could lead to an increase in cases of antimicrobial resistance. Overprescription of antibiotics can result in significant financial costs to individuals and healthcare systems. When antibiotics are overprescribed, not only can they become less effective due to the development of antibiotic resistance, but they can also cause side effects that lead to additional medical costs. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trends in antibiotic consumption in hospital settings. Materials and methods: The analysis of scientific articles including meta-analyses, randomized and cohort studies, systematic reviews and data from the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan was carried out. The articles were selected from Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, Embase and Web of Science databases for the period from 2019 to 2023. Search terms such as «antimicrobial resistance», «antibiotic consumption», «COVID-19» and «antibacterial therapy» were used, without language restrictions. Results: Despite the viral nature of COVID-19, at the beginning of the pandemic, all patients were prescribed antibacterial therapy, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, regardless of the severity of the disease. This was due to concerns about secondary bacterial infections. Numerous studies have documented an increase in antibiotic prescriptions during the COVID19 pandemic, with a significant proportion of hospitalized patients receiving antibiotics, although confirmed bacterial or fungal infections were detected in only a smaller percentage of patients. The review revealed regional differences in antibiotic use practices and the need to strike a balance between effective treatment and the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Conclusions: The need for rational antibacterial therapy and improved epidemiological surveillance is becoming increasingly urgent for effective management of antibiotic resistance. The introduction of antimicrobial therapy management programs in medical institutions is an important step to reduce the unjustified consumption of antibiotics and combat the growth of antimicrobial resistance.