title: A survey on antibiotic therapy knowledge among physicians of a tertiary care and university hospital.
abstract: Antibiotic therapy has resulted in major progress in the fight against infectious diseases and is associated with an improved quality of life and increased survival. However, the emergence of resistant bacterial strains represents an inevitable consequence of antibiotic treatment and yields a loss of beneficial effects. Due to the scarce availability of new molecules in the near future, physicians have to learn how to best use currently available molecules. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the criteria that physicians use in choosing targeted antibiotic therapy. To achieve this goal, we used a questionnaire comprising seven questions. The questionnaire was administered, with the guarantee of anonymity, to a pool of physicians at the Federico II University Hospital of Naples who could prescribe antibiotics. Of the physicians interviewed, 68% chose antibiotic therapy autonomously or in cooperation with other doctors of the same structure, whereas 30% of interviewees referred to the infectious diseases consultant (8% after the first bacterial isolation and 22% after antibiotic therapy failure). The definition and meaning of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were known to the vast majority of physicians (82% and 83%, respectively). In contrast, few of the interviewees knew the definition or meaning of breakpoint (16% and 17%, respectively). The key question of the questionnaire focused on the main criterion for antibiotic choice: 68% of interviewees gave an incorrect answer, most interviewees considering only the lowest MIC value for the isolated bacterium as the fundamental parameter in antibiotic choice. Our study shows that antibiotic therapy in a teaching hospital is often chosen using inappropriate criteria. Due to the well-known effects of the wrong antibiotic choice on therapeutic failure rate and on healthcare cost, information and training programmes for physicians who prescribe antibiotics are urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Landolfo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Riccardo
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Buonomo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crispo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Vita Dora
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Iula
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minei
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borgia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063128:Tertiary Health Care
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents