Prescription of antibiotics and knowledge about antibiotic costs among physicians working in tertiary-care hospitals.

The objective of this study is to investigate antibiotic prescription practices among hospital-based physicians in Greece, using the 2007 national guidelines as the golden standard. A total of 168 physicians participated. Compliance rate with the first-line antibiotic treatment recommended by the national guidelines was 65·5% for acute bacterial sinusitis; 24% for acute uncomplicated cystitis; 36·4% for an acute febrile diarrheic syndrome; 38% for an afebrile adult with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and non-productive cough of 7 days duration; 23·2% for streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis; 55·1% for a surgically sutured, dirty wound; and 48·2% for community-acquired pneumonia. The total mean rate of compliance with the first recommended antibiotic was 41·2%.

Action Plan to combat infections due to carbapenem-resistant, Gram-negative pathogens in acute-care hospitals in Greece.

The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant pathogens (CRPs) has increased worldwide. Given the importance of CRPs for public health and the high rates of carbapenem resistance observed in Greece, the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDCP) under the auspices of the Ministry of Health has undertaken initiatives to develop an Action Plan (i) to estimate the burden of CRP infections in acute-care hospitals in Greece and (ii) to implement infection control measures to limit the intrahospital transmission of these organisms. Starting in November 2010, specific infections caused by CRPs were reported to the HCDCP weekly. Results showed that CRP infections constitute a significant public health problem in acute-care hospitals in this country, with a mean incidence of 0.48 per 1000 patient-days and a crude 28-day mortality rate of 34.4%. The second phase of the Action Plan consists of systemic evaluation for adherence to an infection control bundle including enhanced standard infection control practices, separation of carriers and infected patients from non-carriers, and strict implementation of contact precautions. Communication between hospitals and public health authorities has been established to facilitate rapid notification and feedback.

Antibiotic prescription and knowledge about antibiotic costs of physicians in primary health care centers in Greece.

The aim of this questionnaire-based study is to investigate antibiotic prescription practices among primary health care physicians in Greece using the 2007 Hellenic Center for Diseases Control and Prevention guidelines as the gold standard. Seven case scenarios were used. A total of 527 physicians participated. The mean compliance rate with the first recommended antibiotic by the guidelines was 51%, ranging from 22.9% to 71.5% by scenario. Younger physicians and female physicians had higher scores of compliance.