Antibiotic use Among Medical and Para Medical Students: Knowledge, Attitude and its Practice in a Tertiary Health Care Centre in Chennai- a Scientific Insight

Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the level of knowledge, attitude and practice about anti- biotic use among the medical and para medical students. Research have begun to focus on social aspects of antibiotic management especially the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among general population on antibiotic use. But very few studies have been published on the relationship between KAP and medical education. In this study, we survey the medical students and para medical students' KAP on the use of antibiotics and scrutinize the effect of curriculum and their knowledge on antibiotic use and its resistance. Methodology: In this study, 300 students were included to participate in the questionnaire survey on students' knowledge, attitude and practice toward antibiotic usage. Analysis was done based on Chi square test .Results: 272 (90.66%) respond- ents were considered valid for statistical analysis. The students included were interns(100), final year medical students(100) and physiotherapy students(100).The level of knowledge of Medical students on the use of antibiotics was significantly higher than that of Non medical students (p < 0.0001). Analysis was done among all the three groups and statistically analysed. Conclusion: This study states that medical curriculum significantly improves students' knowledge on antibiotics and brings their attention on antibiotic resistance due to inappropriate use of antibiotics.