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. 2020 Aug 25;9(8):3937-3943.
doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_367_20. eCollection 2020 Aug.

Antibiotic prescribing patterns and knowledge of antibiotic resistance amongst the doctors working at public health facilities of a state in northern India: A cross sectional study

Sonia Trikha  1 , Suresh K Dalpath  2 , Meenakshi Sharma  3 , Nusrat Shafiq  4
Affiliations

Antibiotic prescribing patterns and knowledge of antibiotic resistance amongst the doctors working at public health facilities of a state in northern India: A cross sectional study

Sonia Trikha et al. J Family Med Prim Care. .

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study is to understand antibiotic prescribing patterns and to understand knowledge of antibiotic resistance amongst the doctors working at public health facilities of a northern Indian state.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study among doctors of the civil hospitals of Haryana state of India was conducted 2019. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire from a total of 215 doctors posted at the 22 district hospitals.

Results: The response rate was 98%. Doctors (66%) perceived antibiotic resistance as a very important global problem, a very important problem in India (68%) and as an important problem in their hospital (31%). Experience in years was significantly associated with considering hand hygiene (OR, 5.78; 95% CI, 1.6420.3; P = 0.005) and treatment of bacteria as per susceptibility report of the organism (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.310.93; P = 0.03). Surgeons reported piperacillin-tazobactam (17%), cloxacillin (17%), and cephazolin (12.05%) and others (54.2%) as the first choice of antibiotics for infection after surgery. Doctors (52.3%) reported that they started antibiotics 12 hours before surgery; 15 (17%) prescribed antibiotics 6 hours before surgery; and 23 (27%) 1 day before the surgery. Time for stopping antibiotics after surgery, as reported by participants, was 1 day (15%), 23 days (35%), 57 days (44%), respectively. A total of 71 (83%) doctors thought that surgical incision could lead to post-surgical site infection.

Conclusion: Findings of study can be utilized to enhance education on antimicrobial prescribing, antimicrobial surveillance, and prescribing patterns among doctors in our settings.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; India; doctors.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Perceptions of public health doctors of Haryana on grading the level of antibiotic resistance in the world. *Graph depicts data of those who responded
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pareto graph showing most prescribed antibiotics by public health doctors in the state of Haryana, 2019
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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