ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS ABOUT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN PATIENTS VISITING PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN NAJIBABAD, UTTAR PRADESH

AbstractAntibiotic misuse and the growing threat of antibiotic resistance have become major publichealth concerns worldwide. The present descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted toassess the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotic use andantibiotic resistance among patients attending HMH Hospital, Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. A totalof 180 adult patients from the outpatient and inpatient departments participated in the study.Data were collected using a structured questionnaire after obtaining informed consent andwere analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the majority ofparticipants were aged 18–30 years (37.8%), male (57.8%), educated up to the secondarylevel (31.1%), employed (32.2%), and from semi-urban areas (43.9%). Most respondentscorrectly identified that antibiotics are used for bacterial infections (65.6%) and were awareof the importance of obtaining a physician’s prescription before antibiotic use (82.8%). Alarge proportion of participants also understood the importance of taking antibiotics at fixedintervals, avoiding missed doses, and completing the prescribed course of treatment.Regarding antibiotic resistance, 70.0% of participants were aware of the concept, while80.0% recognized that excessive antibiotic use contributes to the development of resistance.Furthermore, 83.9% identified antibiotic resistance as a global health concern. Despite theoverall satisfactory level of knowledge and awareness, some misconceptions persisted,particularly regarding the use of antibiotics for viral infections and factors contributing toantibiotic resistance. The study concludes that while patients demonstrated moderate to goodknowledge and awareness regarding antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance, continuouseducational interventions and awareness programs are needed to promote rational antibioticuse and help combat the increasing burden of antibiotic resistance.