ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE;

Hospital staff awareness at a tertiary care health facility

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem and awareness of hospital staff to it is limited. Objective: To
study the awareness among hospital staff at a tertiary care health facility regarding knowledge of antimicrobial resistance. Study Design:
It is a prospective observational study. Setting: Sheri Kashmir institute of medical sciences which is a tertiary care medical centre in Indian
part of Kashmir. Period: Study was done over 6 month period from January 2011 to june 2011. Materials and Methods: A study was
conducted in a tertiary care hospital among the hospital staff through a personal interview regarding their knowledge about antimicrobial
resistance. Results: 86% of the hospital staff interviewed considered antimicrobial resistance is a significant national problem but only
52% considered it a problem in their own hospital. Clinicians considered that antimicrobial resistance is a problem more than other
professionals. Majority of health professionals including clinician’s rating of the knowledge of awareness of antimicrobial resistance was
average or low. The most important force/factor to prescribe any antibiotic was patient’s condition, while clinician’s profit interest is
having the least influence. Conclusions: This study concluded that the knowledge of awareness of antimicrobial resistance among health
care professionals indicate that it is a national problem but far less a problem at their own hospital. The in-service education regarding
antimicrobial resistance among the hospital staff was not up to the mark.