UNDERSTANDING REGARDING ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN GOVERNMENT SECTOR OF TEHSIL GUJAR KHAN

Abstract

Background: Antibiotic resistance is found to be a continuous threat to effective prevention and treatment of infections and it is a common problem the world facing these days. The severity of problem has increased especially in developing countries with lack of understanding. The objective of the study was to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of antibiotic resistance among different types of health care professionals working in governmental sector of Punjab, Pakistan.
Methods: A Cross sectional study was conducted by distributing questionnaire with 136 healthcare professionals working in Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital Gujar Khan, Rural Health Centre Qazian, Rural Health Centre Mandra and Rural Health Centre Daultala. Ethical approval was granted by the Institutional Review Board of Health Services Academy Islamabad. Questions were of true or false type in knowledge section. A Likert scale was used to assess of participants regarding use of antibiotics and its resistance developed among the patients. The responses of this scale ranged "from strongly agreed to strongly disagree, from always to never" and Practices were measured by different factors and drivers.
Results: The total number of participants was 136, out of which there were (35%) males and 88 (65%) females. 80 respondents were from THQ Hospital Gujar khan and 56 participants were from three RHCs. It was found in the study that majority 79% (n=107) respondents were demanding by themselves to prescribe them antibiotics. It was found that more than half or 60% (n=81) people strongly agreed that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest issue worldwide that needs to be addressed. The overall knowledge was found to be good but there were attitude and practice problems.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a diverse level of understanding of antibiotics resistance among different health care professionals. Therefore, serious concerns and efforts are still needed to develop, education and trainings to implement strategies to minimize the future risks of antibiotic resistance.