Prevention Of Antibiotic Resistance Research Articles

The impact of antibiotic resistance training programs on knowledge, attitude, and practice reflection among Indian higher education students

Background and Aim: Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is one of the most pressing public health issues. Resistant pathogens originate from antibiotic misuse and unsustainable socioeconomic patterns. Co-financed by the European Commission, the Erasmus + capacity building project, PREVENT IT | Risk Management and Prevention of ABR, aims to improve the effectiveness of the study programs of Indian universities vis-à-vis ABR. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the ABR training programs on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) reflection of undergraduate and postgraduate students from five Indian universities. Materials and Methods: In this multicentric study, the KAP reflection of the students was assessed before (pre) and after (post) the intervention of experiential ABR training. Paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the impact of intervention using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results: A total of 515 students participated in the study. The findings indicate a significant improvement in the knowledge and attitude scores, while a minor change was observed in practice reflection. Conclusion: The intervention conducted within the framework of the project could set a good practice for the prevention and risk management of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Keywords: health, antibiotic resistance, training, innovations and health, attitude and practice, capacity building, equal access, awareness, increasing life expectancy, international health policy.

Knowledge and Practice of Antibiotic Management and Prudent Prescribing among Polish Medical Doctors.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent public health issue. The role of medical doctors in proper antibiotic use is crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practices of Polish doctors of antimicrobial prescribing and antibiotic resistance. The study group consisted of 504 medical doctors with an average age 32.8 ± 5.9 years, mostly women (65%). The paper questionnaire was developed on the basis of a survey tool developed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Public Health England (PHE). According to our study, physicians were aware that: taking antibiotics has side effects, antibiotics cannot be used against viruses, unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to AMR and that healthy people can carry resistant bacteria (each item ≥98% correct responses). Only 47% of respondents knew that the use of antibiotics as growth stimulants in livestock is illegal in the EU. Of the respondents, 98.61% saw the connection between prescribing antibiotics and AMR. However, 65.28% of the respondents reported a lack of appropriate materials on AMR counseling. Nearly 92.5% of participants “never” or “rarely” gave out resources on prudent antibiotic use. Physicians in Poland underestimate the role of hand hygiene in stimulating antibiotic resistance (ABR) (74.4%), while demonstrating satisfying knowledge about antimicrobial use, the clinical application of antimicrobial guidelines and prevention of ABR. However, educational interventions are needed to help lead challenging communication with assertive patients. Appropriate patient resources would be helpful in reaching this goal.

Low-income community knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in Jelutong District, Penang, Malaysia: a qualitative study

BackgroundUnderstanding community perspectives on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a key component in designing educational interventions to combat ABR at the community level in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore community residents’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding antibiotics and ABR in Jelutong District, Penang, Malaysia. Moreover, it intended to identify areas of focus to be addressed when designing an educational intervention to increase residents’ knowledge and change their attitudes and perceptions.MethodsA qualitative approach was adopted to gain a deeper understanding of community residents’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding antibiotics and ABR. A purposive sampling was employed. Twenty-two residents (aged ≥18 years) were interviewed with the aid of a semi-structured interview guide. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.ResultsThe majority of the participants asserted that antibiotics could be effective against viral infections. Moreover, many participants were unaware that antibiotics have adverse effects. Some acquired antibiotics from a community pharmacy without a prescription, took antibiotics given to them by their family or friends, or took leftover antibiotics prescribed for a previous illness. A few indicated that they would request antibiotics from their physician when they had viral infections. More than half of the participants discontinued taking antibiotics when their symptoms improved. The majority stated that ABR occurs when the body becomes used to antibiotics. Most participants were unaware of the causes, consequences and prevention of ABR. In fact, they were not concerned about it. As a result, only a few perceived themselves as having responsibility for preventing this problem.ConclusionsThe community residents had misconceptions about antibiotics and ABR, negative attitudes towards antibiotics and negative perceptions of ABR. The areas of focus that need to be addressed when designing an educational intervention to increase the general public knowledge and change their attitudes and perceptions are the appropriate use of antibiotics and their adverse effects; the importance of adhering to antibiotic therapy; and the definition, causes, consequences and prevention of ABR.