Antibiotic resistance: Italian awareness survey 2016

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance has become a public health priority worldwide. The WHO conducted a survey concerning the personal use of antibiotics, knowledge of appropriate use and awareness of the issue of resistance. A similar survey was conducted in Italy involving 666 young university students and 131 seniors attending courses of the University of the third age. Antibiotics seem to be taken with moderate frequency and appropriately: 30% of respondents took them in the past six months and 94% took these drugs only prescribed by a doctor, in the correct dose and for the proper duration. Notable confusion concerning the conditions treatable with antibiotics was detected (only 30% indicated gonorrhea, and 30-40% believed that antibiotics should be employed for fever, cold, and flu), while 94% of participants seemed aware of the problem of antibiotic resistance. Most of the respondents identified the behaviors that can reduce the phenomenon of resistance (regular handwashing and use of antibiotics only when prescribed and needed). The results of our survey, that involved people of high level of instruction and living in urban areas of northern regions, cannot be extended to all the Italian population. However, they provide valid elements to promote initiatives aimed to a more aware use of antibiotics.

Antibiotics stewardship in Ghana: a cross-sectional study of public knowledge, attitudes, and practices among communities.

“…This was also reflected in the WHO study which found higher use among the young [4]. Furthermore, studies in Asia and Europe have identified variations within demographics, reporting better knowledge observed among women, older adults, and urban residents [11,[13][14][15]. Generally, we did not find a statistically significant association between education and knowledge, except for that between persons with a senior high/vocational school certificate and those with primary/lower education, with higher knowledge observed among the former group.…”

“…While drug resistance is the product of multiple, systemic processes, one of the most common determinants is individuals' compliance to prescriptions and prudent use, and hence introduces a behavior change requirement [8][9][10]. Studies on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) have been instrumental in understanding the underlying predictors of health behavior [4,[11][12][13][14][15][16]. For example, in a systematic review that included twenty-six antibiotic-related studies conducted among the general public worldwide, about one-third (34%) of those sampled were unaware of the efficacy of antibiotics for bacterial infections, or that resistance could result from misuse of medications [16].…”

In Vitro Trypanocidal and Antibacterial Activities of Essential Oils from Four Species of the Family Annonaceae

“…Another relevant public health problem is bacterial resistance, caused by the excessive use of antibiotics, thus favoring the multiplication and dissemination of resistant bacterial strains, as well as the transmission of resistant microorganisms among humans in hospital environments . Bacterial resistance is responsible for serious clinical and economic consequences related to increased morbidity and mortality due to delays in the administration of effective treatments against infections caused by resistant bacteria .…”

Potensi sumber bakteri resisten antibiotik berdasarkan kondisi kualitas air dan penggunaan lahan di Sungai Code, Yogyakarta: suatu tinjauan metodologis

“…Meningkatnya bakteri patogen manusia menimbulkan penyakit ringan seperti infeksi kandung kemih dan infeksi luka yang dapat menyebabkan kematian pada manusia, karena tubuh resisten terhadap antibiotik. Penyebab resistensi ini dapat berasal dari pola penggunaan antibiotik pada manusia dan hewan tanpa pengawasan, maupun dari bakteri yang masuk ke tubuh dari lingkungan bebas (Prigitano et al 2017).…”

“…Tidak ada pengolahan limbah khusus sehingga limbahnya langsung mengalir ke sungai. Pengambilan sampel pada lokasi rumah pemotongan ayam dan peternakan dilakukan karena pada ayam potong biasa dilakukan penyuntikan obat untuk penggemukan dan vaksin hewan (Prigitano et al 2017).…”