Awareness and Practice of Antimicrobial Stewardship Among Medical Students, Paramedical Students, and Paramedical Staff: A Cross-Sectional Study From Two Indian Medical Colleges

Authors

  • Aqsa Hussain
  • Arshpreet Kaur
  • Madhav Sardana
  • Magnolia Saha
  • Kanishka Meena
  • Harsh Singhal
  • Utkarsh Gupta
  • Hemant Kumar Garg
  • Col. Brij Mohan

Keywords:

Antimicrobial stewardship, medical students, paramedical students, paramedical staff, questionnaire, Likert scale, cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global threat to patient safety and healthcare quality. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are essential to curb irrational prescribing and promote responsible antibiotic use. This study assesses the awareness and practice of AMS among medical students, nursing students, nurses, and technical staff in two tertiary care teaching hospitals.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 250 participants: 100 MBBS students, 50 nursing students, and 100 nurses/technical staff. A validated Likert-scale questionnaire assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to AMS. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to analyze group-wise differences.

Results: MBBS students demonstrated higher awareness scores (mean ± SD: 4.2 ± 0.6) compared to nursing students (3.6 ± 0.7) and nurses/technical staff (3.4 ± 0.8). However, practical adherence to AMS protocols was suboptimal across all groups, with only 38% of nurses reporting routine use of hospital antibiograms. Significant gaps were noted in understanding of de-escalation strategies and documentation practices (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: While awareness of AMS principles is moderate to high among students, practical implementation remains limited among paramedical staff. Targeted educational interventions and institutional support are crucial to strengthen AMS practices across healthcare cadres

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

World Health Organization. (2020). Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Indian Council of Medical Research. (2022). AMS Guidelines for Healthcare Institutions.

Sharma R, et al. (2023). Antimicrobial Stewardship in Indian Hospitals: A Multicenter Study. IJID.

Pulcini C, et al. (2019). Developing Core Elements of AMS Programs in LMICs. Lancet Infect Dis.

Dyar OJ, et al. (2017). European Medical Students’ Knowledge of AMS. J Antimicrob Chemother.

Sikkens JJ, et al. (2017). Improving AMS through Education and Feedback. Clin Infect Dis.

Goff DA, et al. (2013). Role of Pharmacists in AMS Programs. Clin Infect Dis.

Laxminarayan R, et al. (2016). Antibiotic Resistance—Global Threat. NEJM.

Chandy SJ, et al. (2014). AMS in India: Challenges and Opportunities. Indian J Med Ethics.

Davey P, et al. (2017). Interventions to Improve Antibiotic Prescribing. Cochrane Database.

Tamma PD, et al. (2014). De-escalation of Antibiotic Therapy. JAMA Intern Med.

Kakkar M, et al. (2020). AMR Surveillance in India. BMJ Global Health.

CDC. (2021). Core Elements of Hospital AMS Programs.

Gandra S, et al. (2019). Antibiotic Use in Indian Hospitals. PLoS Med.

WHO SEARO. (2021). AMS Toolkit for South-East Asia.

Mehta Y, et al. (2017). AMS in Indian ICUs. Indian J Crit Care Med.

Dhingra S, et al. (2022). AMS Education for Nursing Staff. Nurse Educ Today.

Nayyar G, et al. (2015). The Global Threat of AMR. Foreign Affairs.

Kapoor G, et al. (2021). Antibiotic Consumption Trends in India. Lancet Reg Health.

Barlam TF, et al. (2016). Implementing AMS Programs in Hospitals. Clin Infect Dis.

[Sharma R, et al. (2023). Antimicrobial Stewardship in Indian Hospitals: A Multicenter Study. IJID.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). (2022). AMS Guidelines for Healthcare Institutions.

WHO. (2020). Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Downloads

Published

2025-09-23

How to Cite

1.
Hussain A, Kaur A, Sardana M, Saha M, Meena K, Singhal H, Gupta U, Kumar Garg H, Mohan CB. Awareness and Practice of Antimicrobial Stewardship Among Medical Students, Paramedical Students, and Paramedical Staff: A Cross-Sectional Study From Two Indian Medical Colleges. J Neonatal Surg [Internet]. 2025Sep.23 [cited 2025Oct.24];14(32S):8588-92. Available from: https://www.jneonatalsurg.com/index.php/jns/article/view/9205

Most read articles by the same author(s)