Doctor’s knowledge of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in hospitals of Duhok Province

Abstract EN

Background: Awareness of the risks of colonization and subsequent infection, effective treatment and the appropriate use of antibiotic prescribing remain as high priorities to combat Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) related issues.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of doctors working in the hospitals of Duhok province about MRSA.

Methods: the study was done in 8 hospitals of Duhok province.

The participants were doctors working in those hospitals with any professional qualification.

A questionnaire of ten true and false questions was developed to study their knowledge of MRSA related issues.

Results: A total 239 doctors filled the questionnaire.

Nearly two thirds of them were in the age group of 24-34 years, with a male to female ratio of 3.4:1.

The majority of respondents (90.4%) correctly identified MRSA as a Gram-positive organism.

72% of them identified the correct anatomical sites for MRSA colonization and 68.2% realized that MRSA could be acquired in the community without prior hospitalization and 41.4% of doctors thought that Cefoxitin is the drug of choice for MRSA.

The rate of correct answer was significantly higher in male than female doctors.

Age, being a specialist, type of specialty and type of hospital did not affect the knowledge of doctors significantly.

Conclusion: doctors working in hospitals of Duhok province have good knowledge about MRSA, but in some areas of the subject, they have low or no information.

This necessitates a well-defined program for control of hospital-acquired infections including MRSA.