Awareness of Antibiotic Resistance among Medical Students of Fourth and Fifth Year MBBS: A Cross- Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern. One of the main reasons contributing to it is the inappropriate use of antibiotics. As medical students will soon be responsible for prescribing antimicrobials tomorrow, it is important to know their understanding of this issue today.

Objective: This questionnaire- based study aims to judge the awareness among medical students regarding antibiotic resistance.

Study type, settings & duration: A descriptive cross- sectional study conducted at CMH Lahore Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan from November to December 2021.   

Methodology:  This study was conducted among fourth and final year students of MBBS. The questionnaire was shared in Google docs and disseminated to students via social media. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.  

Results: Most students (97.3%) were aware of antibiotic resistance and knew that skipping antibiotic doses affects the treatment outcome. Students of 5^th year (43%) were more aware that taking antibiotics will not speed up the recovery process of a sore throat or cough (p=0.002). However, students of 4^th year were more aware that antibiotics are to be used solely for bacterial infections than their counterparts in 5^th year (p<0.001).

Conclusion: This study shows that the theoretical knowledge gained by medical students is not necessarily reflected in their actual behavior. Therefore, more emphasis must be laid upon outcome- based learning in medical schools so that students learn to handle antibiotics in a more responsible manner.