J Biomed Transl Res.  2024 Jun;25(2):89-99. 10.12729/jbtr.2024.25.2.89.

Preliminary investigation on antimicrobial uses in small animal clinics in South Korea

• Islam O
• Kim Hs
• Kim JW
• Min KD

• KMID: 2557851
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12729/jbtr.2024.25.2.89

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance significantly threatens human and animal health globally, with con-siderable mortality and economic impact. This study investigated antimicrobial usage in small animal clinics in South Korea, focusing on understanding the trends in prescriptions for therapeutic and preventive purposes. Data were collected from 12 small animal clinics that were analyzed for antimicrobial prescriptions from 2018–2020. A comprehensive dataset was used, including patient signalment, clinical notes, and prescription details, and statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The results indicated that most antimicrobials (93.1%) were prescribed for the treatment of infectious diseases, with a smaller portion (6.9%) used for pre-ventive measures, such as surgery. High prescription rates were observed for the treatment of cutaneous and otological diseases, which may reflect common diseases in companion an-imals. The study highlighted a higher prescription rate for adult age groups, possibly because of the higher prevalence in those groups. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into common prescription patterns in veterinary practice and underscores the need for more strin-gent antimicrobial stewardship to curb the rise of antimicrobial resistance. This suggests that ongoing surveillance and education on appropriate antimicrobial use are crucial for optimizing treatment outcomes and minimizing the development of resistance.

Keyword

drug resistance, microbial; epidemiology; pets; anti-bacterial agents