Awareness Regarding Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiotic Prescribing Behavior among Physicians: Results from a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey in India
Niti Mittal,
Parul Goel,
Kapil Goel,
Rashmi Sharma,
Bhola Nath,
Surjit Singh,
Pugazhenthan Thangaraju,
Rakesh Mittal,
Kahkasha Kahkasha,
Prasanna Mithra,
Rajesh Sahu,
Raman P. Priyadarshini,
Nikita Sharma,
Star Pala,
Suneel Kumar Rohilla,
Jyoti Kaushal,
Sanjit Sah,
Sarvesh Rustagi,
Ranjit Sah,
Joshuan J. Barboza
Affiliations
Niti Mittal
Department of Pharmacology, Pt. B. D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak 124001, India
Parul Goel
Department of Biochemistry, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College, Chhainsa, Faridabad 121004, India
Kapil Goel
Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
Rashmi Sharma
Department of Community Medicine, GMERS Medical College Sola, Ahmedabad 380060, India
Bhola Nath
Department of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raebareli 229405, India
Surjit Singh
Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur 342001, India
Pugazhenthan Thangaraju
Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur 492010, India
Rakesh Mittal
Department of Pharmacology, Pt. B. D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak 124001, India
Kahkasha Kahkasha
Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar 814152, India
Prasanna Mithra
Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 575001, India
Rajesh Sahu
Department of Community Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040, India
Raman P. Priyadarshini
Department of Pharmacology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Karaikal 609602, India
Nikita Sharma
Department of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur 174037, India
Star Pala
Department of Community Medicine, NEIGRIHMS, Shillong 793018, India
Suneel Kumar Rohilla
Department of Pharmacology, Pt. B. D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak 124001, India
Jyoti Kaushal
Department of Pharmacology, Pt. B. D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak 124001, India
Sanjit Sah
Global Consortium for Public Health and Research, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Wardha 442001, India
Sarvesh Rustagi
School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India
Ranjit Sah
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu 46000, Nepal
Joshuan J. Barboza
School of Medicine, César Vallejo University, Trujillo 13007, Peru
(1) Background: Understanding the physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and antimicrobial prescribing behavior is a crucial step towards designing strategies for the optimal use of these agents. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among clinicians across India between May and July 2022 using a self-administered questionnaire in English comprising 35 questions pertaining to demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practices domains. (3) Results: A total of 544 responses were received from 710 physicians contacted. Sixty percent of participants were males, with mean age of 34.7 years. Mean ± Standard Deviation scores for knowledge, attitude, and practices domains were 8 ± 1.6, 20.2 ± 3.5, and 15.3 ± 2.1, respectively. Higher scores were associated with basic [odds ratio (95% Confidence Interval), p value: 2.95 (1.21, 7.2), 0.02], medical and allied sciences [2.71 (1.09, 6.67), 0.03], and central zone [3.75 (1.39, 10.12), 0.009]. A substantial proportion of dissatisfactory responses were found regarding hospital antibiograms, antibiotics effective against anaerobes, WHO AWaRe (access, watch, and reserve) classification of antibiotics, and the role of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in the containment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). (4) Conclusions: There is a need to sensitize and educate clinicians on various issues related to antimicrobial use, such as antibiograms, double anaerobic cover, IPC practices, and guideline-based recommendations, to curb the AMR pandemic.
