Objective   To describe pharmacoepidemiological characteristics of antibacterial drug application and to evaluate the rationality of antibiotics use among inpatients with neurosurgery operation.

  Methods   Real-world study design was adopted in the study. With a self-designed questionnaire on application of antibacterial drug application and from medical records, we collected relevant information on 1 446 inpatients with neurosurgery operations in a grade A tertiary hospital in Shenyang city during a period from January 2015 to January 2020. The rationality of antibiotics use was assessed based on the national guideline and expert consensus for clinical antibiotics application.

  Results   All the inpatients, including 852 and 594 with type I and II surgical incision in the operations, had operation-related antibiotics treatment and the total times of antibacterial drug application was 5 152 case-times. The rational proportion of antibacterial drug application was 83.20% (1 203 inpatients) for right indication, 92.19% (1 333) for treatment before operation, 92.95% (1 344) for additional use during operation, and 90.25% (1 305) for treatment after operation. Totally 382 case-times of antibiotics application were irrational use in terms of medication time.

  Conclusion   Medication time for antibacterial drug application needs to be improved for promoting rational use of antibiotics among inpatients with neurosurgery operation.