. Manjunath Inchara; . Mahendra M. Reddy; . Nagesh Ramya
Volume 12, Issue 5 , June 2022, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Contribution to antibiotic resistance can happen at two interfaces – doctorprescribing antibiotics inadvertently or patient’s usage of antibiotics inadvertently. ...
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BACKGROUND: Contribution to antibiotic resistance can happen at two interfaces – doctorprescribing antibiotics inadvertently or patient’s usage of antibiotics inadvertently. This study wasconducted among diabetic inpatients in a rural tertiary health center in Kolar, South India, to assessthe various practices related to antibiotic use and to explore the possible reasons for these practiceswith regard to antibiotic use.MATERIALS AND METHODS: An exploratory sequential mixed‑methods study was conductedwith an initial cross‑sectional quantitative study followed by qualitative in‑depth interviews duringAugust–September 2019. A pretested semi‑structured questionnaire was used to capture thesociodemographic, disease‑, and treatment‑related characteristics and practices related to antibioticuse. An open‑ended interview guide was used to conduct in‑depth interviews. The practices toantibiotic use were reported using frequency (percentage). Manual descriptive content analyses weredone by two investigators separately to identify codes under the broad topic “reasons for adoptedpractices with regard to antibiotic use.”RESULTS: Of the 152 diabetic inpatients interviewed, 20 (13.2%) felt that antibiotics are safe drugsand can be used commonly. Among these inpatients, seven (4.6%) knew that antibiotics can killbacteria and four (2.6%) perceived ‘antibiotic resistance’ as a big problem in India. The practiceof checking the expiry date before using antibiotics was seen in 21 (13.8%) and 44 (29%) of themfinished the full course of antibiotics. A total of six codes were identified under the broad theme of“reasons for adopted practices with regard to antibiotic use” among diabetic inpatients.CONCLUSIONS: Less than one‑third of them completed the antibiotic course given by the doctor, andalmost everyone was ready for over‑the‑counter purchase of antibiotics offered by the pharmacist.The reasons for such practices were mostly attributed to the “partial drug purchases” and “incompleteadvice by the doctor.” There is an urgent need to plan and deliver an interventional package to enhancethe knowledge and inculcate good antibiotic usage practices among these high‑risk populations.
