title: [Factors influencing adherence to antibiotic therapy in patients with acute infections].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Taking antibiotics in strict adherence to physician prescriptions is crucial for maintaining the stability of the drug concentration in the blood and for achieving the best therapeutic effects. The increasing antimicrobial resistance in recent decades has led the Ministry of Health and Welfare to promote the rational use of antibiotics and the use of a computer monitoring system to control the use of antibiotics in hospitals. Although non-adherence is considered as the major factor contributing to antimicrobial resistance, patient non-adherence to antibiotic prescriptions is an issue that has been largely overlooked. This paper explores this issue due to the serious threat from antimicrobial resistance and the few studies that have investigated patient adherence to antibiotic treatments for acute infections in Taiwan.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of the study include: (1) describe patient's adherence to antibiotic therapy for acute infections and (2) explore the potential factors of influence on antibiotic adherence such as demographics, disease characteristics, and knowledge of antibiotic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a descriptive correlational design. A convenience sample of 162 patients with acute infections was recruited from outpatient infectious disease clinics in Taoyuan City. Data were collected using the study questionnaire and analyzed using the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study results showed that only 40.1% of patients followed their prescription to take antibiotics completely. The remainder earned lower scores than their prescription-adhering counterparts for knowledge regarding the effects of antibiotics (U = 2654.5, p = .046). Results of logistic regression showed that knowledge regarding the effects of antibiotics was the most significant predictor (B = .481, p = .046) of adherence to antibiotic therapies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-adherence to prescriptions is prevalent in short-term antibiotic treatments prescribed for acute infections. This finding reminds healthcare providers to provide proper education to the recipients of antibiotic treatments, even those treated for a very short duration for acute infections in outpatient settings. Special attention should be pay to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of patients for the therapeutic effects of antibiotics.
authors: Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan, ROC.
authors: Yi-Chun
authors: YC
authors: Chen
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan, ROC.
authors: Hsieh-Shong
authors: HS
authors: Leu
authors: Department of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taiwan, ROC.
authors: Shu-Fang
authors: SF
authors: Wu
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan, ROC.
authors: Yen-Mu
authors: YM
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taiwan, ROC. tsaejyy@ntunhs.edu.tw.
authors: Tsae-Jyy
authors: TJ
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: acute infection; adherence to antibiotic treatment; knowledge of antibiotic treatment