A Cross Sectional Survey on Perceptions of Health Care Providers about Implementation of Antibiogram in a Tertiary Care Hospital

To make appropriate use of antimicrobials many health care professionals are following national database which serves as a general guide, particularly for empirical therapy when culture results are not available. In many cases when patients have been treated with antimicrobial agents, the culture results may be negative. Following this practice for a long term may result in antibiotic resistance. Developing an antibiogram with local infection pattern in each hospital for the proper use of antimicrobial will reduce the resistance chances.The present study is a cross sectional survey on perceptions of health care providers about implementation of antibiogram in a tertiary care hospital at Malappuram, Kerala. A preliminary assessment validated questionnaire with twelve questions was designed to collect information about existing attitudes on antimicrobials among health care professionals and their opinion on need for developing an antibiogram for empirical antibiotic therapy in the institution.All the data collected was analysed by using a scoring system. Majority of the respondents in the study was doctors and they suggestedthat antimicrobial resistance is a problem of this institution. Most respondents agreed that use of cumulative antibiogram for empirical therapy can improve patient care and will reduce the problem of antimicrobial resistance. This response strengthens importance of establishing a cumulative antibiogram.