Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting antibiotic prescription in dental outpatients. Methods: The present study was conducted using data from the National Health Insurance Service – National Sample Cohort. We analyzed prescriptions issued in the dental outpatient department in 2015, for adults over 19 years of age. Antibiotic prescription rates and mean prescription days were analyzed by sex, age, insurance type, presence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, season in treatment, type of dental institution, and location of dental institution. Multivariate logistic regression was also performed to analyze the factors affecting antibiotic prescription in dental outpatients. Results: A total of 257,038 prescriptions were analyzed. The mean prescription days of antibiotics in dental outpatients were 3.04±1.08 days, and the prescription rate was 93.0%. Two variables (presence of diabetes mellitus and insurance type) were excluded from the multivariate logistic regression analysis model because they did not significantly affect antibiotic prescription. The possibility of antibiotic prescription was higher in men ≥61 years of age and those with hypertension. Furthermore, antibiotics were most frequently prescribed in dental clinics rather than dental hospitals, and more frequently in Busan compared to other areas (p<0.001). Conclusions: Several factors were determined to affect antibiotic prescription, and detailed guidelines for consistent antibiotic prescription are needed.
Figures & Tables
Table 1. Summary of cases
