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Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Common Cold And Its Management Among Doctors Of Pakistan
Muneeb-Ur- Rehman1, Naseer Alam Tariq1, Mamoon Ahmed1
1Army Medical College, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Background:
Antibiotic misuse for upper respiratory tract infections such as the common cold is widespread in clinical practice. Excessive prescription of antibiotics by doctors has resulted in increased antimicrobial resistance. This led to our objective of determining the percentage of doctors in Pakistan prescribing antibiotics for the treatment of common cold and to know about their knowledge in preventing the spread of this disease.
Methods:
It was a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted in 9 cities of Pakistan including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan and D.G. Khan over a period of 03 months -from October to December, 2013. Questionnaire regarding the disease spread and its treatment was distributed among 300 randomly selected doctors in nine cities of Pakistan from both public and private sector.
Results:
Eighteen percent of the doctors prescribe antibiotics for common cold. Only 113 (37.7%) doctors correctly responded that mean incubation period for common cold was 1-2 days. Two hundred and nine (69.7%) answered correctly that cold weather increases susceptibility to common cold. Only 84 (28%) responded correctly by choosing that regular and frequent hand-washing with good quality soaps was the most effective way to prevent spread of this disease in day-to-day life.
Conclusions:
Antibiotics are being prescribed for treatment of common cold by a large proportion of doctors. There is insufficient knowledge among our doctors regarding the factors which aggravate or alleviate common cold symptoms as well as the methods by which these infections can be prevented.
Insights
A significant percentage of doctors in Pakistan prescribe antibiotics for the common cold, indicating a need for improved knowledge on infection control and appropriate treatment strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Antibiotic misuse for upper respiratory tract infections is prevalent.
- Excessive antibiotic prescription contributes to antimicrobial resistance.
- Understanding prescribing patterns for the common cold is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the percentage of doctors in Pakistan prescribing antibiotics for the common cold.
- To assess doctors' knowledge regarding common cold prevention and spread.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in 9 Pakistani cities.
- Questionnaires distributed to 300 randomly selected doctors (public and private sectors).
- Data collected over three months (October-December 2013).
Main Results:
- 18% of doctors prescribed antibiotics for the common cold.
- Only 37.7% correctly identified the mean incubation period (1-2 days).
- 69.7% correctly stated cold weather increases susceptibility, and only 28% identified hand-washing as the most effective prevention method.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of doctors prescribe antibiotics for the common cold.
- Doctors exhibit insufficient knowledge regarding common cold symptom management and prevention strategies.
- Addressing knowledge gaps is essential to curb antibiotic misuse and prevent disease spread.
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