Knowledge and attitudes of parents towards responsible antibiotic therapy in respiratory system infections

Background: Testing general knowledge on antibiotics, and the rational application of them in practice, is very important in order to understand the need to educate society and the irreversible problem of antibiotic resistance. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to analyze the knowledge and practice of parents regarding responsible antibiotic therapy in respiratory infections. Material and methods: This study was carried out among 317 parents aged 22-61 (M = 34.74; SD = 6.31). The diagnostic survey method was applied, and the research tool was a survey questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 statistical package. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Viruses were identified as the most frequent cause of respiratory tract infection by respondents (n = 245, 77.3%). According to 91.2% of participants, antibiotics are used against a bacterial infection. Almost all (n = 315, 99.4%) respondents are of the opinion that antibiotics ought to be applied after a medical examination if they are definitely recommended, 97.5% (n = 309) believed that taking antibiotics could not be stopped at any time, whereas 10.4% (n = 33) used antibiotics without contacting a physician. 15.1% (n = 48) of the respondents used the antibiotics left over from previous treatment. Conclusions: The respondents possess knowledge concerning indications for antibiotic treatment and on their rational use, but unfortunately, not everyone uses this knowledge in practice.