ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE;

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem and awareness of hospital staff to it is limited. Objective: Tostudy 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 Indianpart of Kashmir. Period: Study was done over 6 month period from January 2011 to june 2011. Materials and Methods: A study wasconducted in a tertiary care hospital among the hospital staff through a personal interview regarding their knowledge about antimicrobialresistance. Results: 86% of the hospital staff interviewed considered antimicrobial resistance is a significant national problem but only52% considered it a problem in their own hospital. Clinicians considered that antimicrobial resistance is a problem more than otherprofessionals. Majority of health professionals including clinician’s rating of the knowledge of awareness of antimicrobial resistance wasaverage or low. The most important force/factor to prescribe any antibiotic was patient’s condition, while clinician’s profit interest ishaving the least influence. Conclusions: This study concluded that the knowledge of awareness of antimicrobial resistance among healthcare professionals indicate that it is a national problem but far less a problem at their own hospital. The in-service education regardingantimicrobial resistance among the hospital staff was not up to the mark.