Knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare workers towards antibiotic resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background During the novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, there was an overuse of antibiotics in hospitals. The improper use of antibiotics during COVID-19 has increased antibiotic resistance (AR), which has been reported in multiple studies. Objectives To assess the healthcare workers’ (HCWs) knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in relation to AR during the era of COVID-19, and identify the associated factors with good knowledge, positive attitude and good practice. Methods A cross-sectional design was used to assess the KAP of HCWs in Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A validated questionnaire was used to collect participants’ data, which consisted of the following information; socio-demographics, knowledge, attitude and items for practice. Data were presented as percentages and median (IQR). Mann–Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to compare them. Logistic regression was used to identify the associated factors linked to KAP. Results The study included 406 HCWs. Their median (IQR) knowledge score was 72.73% (27.27%–81.82%), attitude score was 71.43% (28.57%–71.43%) and practice score was 50% (0%–66.67%). About 58.1% of the HCWs stated that antibiotics could be used to treat COVID-19 infection; 19.2% of the participants strongly agreed and 20.7% agreed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, antibiotics were overused at their healthcare institutions. Only 18.5% strongly agreed and 15.5% agreed when asked whether antibiotics used properly for the right indication and duration can still result in AR. The significantly associated factors with good knowledge were nationality, cadre and qualification. A positive attitude was significantly associated with age, nationality and qualification. Good practice was significantly associated with age, cadre, qualification and working place. Conclusion Although the HCWs had a positive attitude regarding AR during COVID-19, their knowledge and practice need significant improvement. Implementation of effective educational and training programmes are urgently needed. In addition, further prospective and clinical trial studies are needed to better inform these programmes.

A Pilot Test: Doctors, Nurses, and Pharmacists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Towards Antibiotic Prescribing, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Stewardship During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a UK Secondary Care Setting.

“…Initially, 336 physicians responded, with 351 participating post-campaign. Findings revealed high knowledge and appropriate counselling practices, with slight improvements in specific areas such as antibiotic disposal and infection prevention post-campaign [17]. In Italy, a 2019 survey segmented healthcare workers into three clusters to evaluate their understanding of antibiotic use and resistance.…”

Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of antimicrobial prescription and its resistance among health care providers in the COVID-19 era: A cross sectional study

“…This may be as a result of prescribing antibiotics by physicians according to their availability in the hospitals, the attitude of their seniors and the lack of antimicrobial stewardship in work institutes. Other study held in KSA identified the associated factors with positive attitude were age, nationality and qualifications [ 40 ]. However, a study that was conducted during COVID-19 did not reveal any association between positive attitudes and demographic characteristics [ 41 ].…”