Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance among 2nd-year medical students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Antibiotics are probably one of the most successful forms of chemotherapy in the history of medicine. Their use has significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity associated with infectious disease. The irrational and overuse of antibiotics clearly drive the evolution of resistance. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that a direct relationship between antibiotic consumption and the emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria strains leads to increased mortality. Aims and Objective: The aims and objectives of the study are to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice toward antibiotic use and its resistance. Materials and Methods: After getting approval of the Ethics Committee of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, Mysore, and obtaining written informed consent from 2nd-year medical undergraduates studying in Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, a self-administered, structured, and pre-tested questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was adopted from previously conducted similar studies and modified to fit with the current setup. Results: 64% of the students agree that antibiotics are inappropriate for use in viral infections, 58.4% of the participants disagreed on the safety of antibiotic usage, while 67.8% marked a negative response, when asked if they share the antibiotics with family members. Conclusion: More emphasis should be given on topic-like antibiotic usage and its resistance during UG teaching program, which goes a long way and help in reduction of antibacterial resistance development.