Antibiotic and antiviral prescribing patterns among hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in Mongolia: a real-world descriptive retrospective study
Abstract
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mongolia, like many low- and middle-income countries, faced major healthcare delivery challenges due to limited system readiness, resource constraints, geopolitical vulnerabilities, and prolonged border closures. These factors caused shortages of laboratory reagents and globally recommended therapeutics, including remdesivir and tocilizumab, prompting clinicians to use alternative antivirals and empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Objective: To evaluate and compare real-world prescribing patterns of antibiotics and antivirals among hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia at Mongolia's two largest tertiary referral facilities: Mongolia-Japan Hospital (MJH) and the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD).
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analysed anonymised medical charts and electronic health records of 1012 adults with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalised between 18 April and 31 December 2021. Demographics, comorbidities, laboratory markers, and pharmacological treatments were systematically extracted and compared between the two institutions.
Results: Antibiotics were prescribed to 87.6% (887/1012) of patients. Cephalosporins were the most frequently prescribed class (89.3%, 904/1012), followed by macrolides (36.5%, 369/1012) and fluoroquinolones (33.5%, 339/1012). Multi-drug empiricism was common, with beta-lactam, macrolide, and quinolone combinations accounting for 70.8% (68/96) of…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 1,012 participants or records.
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