Review of drug indications for proton pump inhibitors among hospitalized patients in King Fahd Hospital, Alkobar, Saudi Arabia

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly prescribed medications worldwide. Irrational use of PPIs is a common practice among hospitalized patients. The major objective of this study was to determine the appropriateness of indications of PPIs among hospitalized patients in King Fahd Hospital, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Fahd Hospital, during December 2018 to March 2019. All adult patients admitted to the Medical and Surgical Departments were eligible. Data was collected from each patient’s medical record using a structured - data collection form. Assessment of the appropriateness of PPIs indications was performed based on standardized criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to describe all variables. Regression models were performed to identify the determinants of inappropriateness of PPIs indication. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Overall, a total of 181 patients was included, of them 96 (53%) were males. Patients aged > 65 years were 47 (26%). Out of all patients PPIs was prescribed as prophylactic therapy for 163 (90.1%) and for 18 (9.9%) as treatment. For 128 (70.7%) patients PPIs was inappropriately indicated. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, age more than 65 years [AOR 8.36 (3.82 - 18.3), (P