A tertiary care center's cost-effective examination of different antibiotic regimen used to treat pneumonia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different antibiotics in treating adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methodology: This retrospective study analyzed 100 case sheets of CAP patients admitted to the Medical Centre between January 2024 and December 2024. The case sheets contained details on various antibiotics administered both orally and intravenously. The most commonly used antibiotics included azithromycin, ampicillin-sulbactam, levofloxacin, cefuroxime, and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Intravenous antibiotics showed a more significant improvement in patient outcomes compared to oral antibiotics. To assess cost-effectiveness, we conducted a pharmacoeconomic analysis and applied a cost-effectiveness evaluation of these antibiotics. The cost-effectiveness coefficient was determined by dividing the monthly number of asymptomatic days by the cost of antibiotics.Results: The cost-effectiveness coefficient ratio indicated that continuous intravenous antibiotic therapy is significantly more expensive than switch therapy.Conclusion: When clinically appropriate, transitioning from intravenous to oral antibiotics at the right time can reduce unnecessary healthcare costs while maintaining effective treatment outcomes.