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. 2022 Mar 21;19(6):3739.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063739.

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

Wojciech Stefan Zgliczyński  1 , Jarosław Bartosiński  2 , Olga Maria Rostkowska  3
Affiliations

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

Wojciech Stefan Zgliczyński et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Poland; antibiotic; antimicrobial resistance; hand hygiene; medical doctors; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Antibiotics knowledge score (number of correct answers) in the study group (N = 504). Scale from 0—no correct answer to 9—all the correct answers. Results are presented as the number and percentage of respondents.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding antibiotic knowledge?
Figure 3
Figure 3
Importance of individual factors for the development of antibiotic resistance.
Figure 4
Figure 4
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Figure 5
Figure 5
Selected practices regarding antibiotic use and prescribing. Percentages were calculated from the answers given.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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