Implication of the knowledge and perceptions of veterinary students of antimicrobial resistance for future prescription of antimicrobials in animal health, South Africa

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Authors

Smith, Peter W.
Agbaje, Michael
LeRoux-Pullen, Lerica
Van Dyk, Deborah
Debusho, Legesse K.
Shittu, Aminu
Sirdar, Mohamed Mahmoud
Fasanmi, Olubunmi Gabriel
Adebowale, Oluwawemimo Oluseun
Fasina, Folorunso Oludayo

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AOSIS OpenJournals

Abstract

Understanding the knowledge and perceptions of veterinary students of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as potential future prescribers of antimicrobials may serve as an opportunity to improve stewardship of AMR. Pre-final (n = 42) and final (n = 29) year veterinary students of the University of Pretoria completed questionnaires to determine their knowledge and perceptions of AMR. Of the 71 respondents, mixed practice (48%) and small animal practice (45%) were the most preferred career choices post-graduation, with the field of gross pathology being the least preferred. Over 80% of the respondents believed that veterinary practitioners’ misuse of antimicrobials contributes to AMR and a higher percentage (98.6%) believed that farmers’ misuse of antimicrobials encourages the development of AMR, in particular, in food animals (60.6%) compared to companion animals (50.7%). Agreement in the ranking of abuse of antimicrobials between pre-final and final year students was fair (36.4%; kappa 0.3), and the most abused antimicrobials in descending order listed by the students were tetracyclines, penicillins, sulphonamides and aminoglycosides. There was wide disparity between training and potential field application, as well as variations in the correct matching of antimicrobials to their respective antibiotic classes. Responses to the clinical application of antimicrobials also varied widely. Despite the apparent teaching of AMR to veterinary students, gaps may exist in the translation of theoretical concepts to clinical applications, hence the need for focused and targeted antimicrobial prescription and stewardship training to bridge these potential identified gaps.

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Keywords

Antimicrobials, Stewardship, Training, Undergraduate students, Perception, Practice, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), South Africa (SA)

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Citation

Smith, P.W., Agbaje, M., LeRoux-Pullen, L., Van Dyk, D., Debusho, L.K., Shittu, A. et al., 2019, ‘Implication of the knowledge and perceptions of veterinary students of antimicrobial resistance for future prescription of antimicrobials in animal health, South Africa’, Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 90(0), a1765. https://DOI.org/10.4102/jsava.v90i0.1765.