OBJECTIVE: There is a worldwide concern about rational drug use, more specifically related to antimicrobial utilization. In developing countries, few resources are intended for monitoring on rational drug use. Moreover, there are limited data on the use of antimicrobial agents in hospitals. A study was carried out to describe patterns of use of antimicrobial agents over a 7-year period (1990 to 1996). METHODS: The study was conducted in a 690-bed tertiary care university hospital in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Hospital records […]