Abstract

A PROSPECTIVE COMMUNITY BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO ASSESS KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TOWARDS ANTIBIOTICS USAGE IN RURAL POPULATION

Dr. A. Swetha Prthima*, Dr. J. N. Suresh Kumar, V. Madhura Vani, Y. Harshitha, M. Lakshmi Priyanka, S. Manogna Deepika

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Antibiotics are the chemotherapeutic agents that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, that are useful in treating bacterial infections in humans and animals. Antibiotics played an important role in the remarkable increase in life expectancy in the latter half of the 20th century. Antibiotics are classified based on the activity, spectrum of action. Mode of action, source, and chemical structure. Based on action, these are divided into Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal Antibiotics. Inappropriate use, misuse, and excessive use of antibiotics lead to antibiotic resistance, which is a serious global health issue. Methodology: This study is a community based observational study conducted at Yallamanda, Narasaraopet by enrolling 200 members who met inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessments were performed using a structured KAP questionaries that were extracted from NIH, WHO, ICMR, and from standard published literature. Results: A total of 200 responses were analysed. After analysing all these studies, it was clear that 69.5% had good knowledge about Antibiotics while 93.50% had positive attitudes and 83.00% had good practices. Conclusion: The study sheds light on the urgent necessity for continuous community-based health education programs aimed at raising awareness and knowledge as well as instilling rational antibiotic use practices among people who are at the lowest levels in terms of education and income. Public enlightenment and antibiotic use regulation would, on the one hand, provide the first line of defence against the misuse of antibiotics and, on the other hand, help curb the growing menace of antimicrobial resistance.

Keywords: Mode of action, source, chemical structure, Antibiotics, narrow & broad spectrum antibiotics, MOA, KAP.