ANTIMICROBIAL USE AND PRESCRIBING BEHAVIOUR OF VETERINARIANS IN LARGE ANIMAL PRACTICE IN KERALA
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Date
2023-02-23
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES MANNUTHY, THRISSUR, KERALA VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY
Abstract
A mixed method research design was used to investigate the perception of veterinarians engaged in large animal practice about antimicrobial use and resistance as well as their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. Four focus group discussions were conducted in four districts of Kerala, each with five veterinarians engaged in large animal practice, as part of the qualitative part of the study. Themes emerging from these discussions were used for questionnaire development for the quantitative part of the study. The structured, pre tested questionnaire was sent by Google form linksto 1580 veterinarians working in Animal Husbandry Department, Kerala. A total of 336 responses were obtained and these formed the sample for the study. Majority of the respondents were middle aged (55.1 per cent), male (55.1 per cent), married(94.6 per cent), undergraduate (45.2 per cent), veterinary surgeons (78.6 per cent), working in veterinary dispensaries (63.4 per cent) situated in panchayat localities
(74.7 per cent). Most of the respondents had between 11 and 22 years of total work experience (39.28 per cent), had not attended any training on antimicrobial use and resistance (66.7 per cent) and had not participated in any antimicrobial stewardship
programmes (93.2 per cent). It was also evident that 47.02 per cent of the veterinarians had medium level of confidence with regard to appropriate antimicrobial prescribing and 71.4 per cent had a low level of general awareness about antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. Clinical signs and prior experience were the major clinical and non-clinical factors that influenced the prescribing decision of veterinarians on whether to prescribe an antimicrobial or not. Spectrum of activity of the drug and clinical signs were the major pharmacological and nonpharmacological factors that influenced the prescribing decision of veterinarians to choose a particular antimicrobial. Entrofloxacin, oxytetracycline and ceftriaxone were the antibiotics frequently used by the veterinarians in large animal practice. The results of the study also indicated that 47.61 per cent of the veterinarians had a medium level of perception about antimicrobial use and resistance; 47.32 per cent had a medium level of knowledge and 34.82 per cent had a moderately favourableattitude towards antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. It was also observed that 40.18 per cent of the veterinarians had a high level of adherence to optimum antimicrobial stewardship practices. Pressure or demand from clients, lack of access
to antibiotic sensitivity testing laboratory facilities and insufficient fund allotment for drug purchase were the major barriers to optimum prescribing perceived by veterinarians. Establishing more antibiotic sensitivity testing laboratory facilities and providing sufficient veterinary manpower in the field were the major interventions suggested by the respondents to optimise prescribing practices.