Knowledge About Antibiotic Prescription Among Eighth- and Ninth-Semester Dental Students

Abstract

Background: Dental students engage in prescribing antibiotics, which, worldwide, are overprescribed. Purpose: To evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices of antibiotic prescription through a survey in students of the eighth and ninth semester of Dentistry. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study that recorded information at a single moment without interfering in the sample, seeks to explain the association between level of knowledge in antibiotic prescription with sex and semester, the study was conducted on 109 students, with a non-probabilistic sample. In Google Forms, a survey was conducted taken from the article by Cortés & Montenegro sent to institutional emails on knowledge, attitudes and practices of antibiotics in four domains: characterization of medical practice, knowledge about the diagnostic process, attitudes of the respondents regarding claims, practices in antibiotic use. Data were analyzed in SPSS statistical package version 26.0. Pearson's Chi square and Student's t-test were performed with a 5 % significance level. Findings:  43.1 % of students had a poor level of knowledge about antibiotic prescription, 46.8 % had a regular level of knowledge, and 10.1 % had an acceptable level of knowledge. A level of significance p=0.77 was found between level of knowledge with sex and p>0.40 between level of knowledge with semester. Conclusions:  Eighth semester Dentistry students showed a better level of knowledge in antibiotic prescription; while, in relation to sex, women had better results and the level of significance indicates that there is no relationship between the level of knowledge with semester and sex.