School E.B.2, 3 D. Maria II, Vila Nova de Famalicão Portugal, Portugal.
BMC Public Health. 2009 Sep 23;9:359. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-9-359.
Recent surveys show that the knowledge of the general public about the correct use of antibiotics is limited. This contributes to the problem of inappropriate antibiotic use, leading to a progressive loss of bacterial sensitivity to these drugs and the spreading of resistant strains of bacteria.
In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire about antibiotic use was given to a sample of students in the 9(th) and 12(th) grades of secondary school and in the first year of university in the north of Portugal.
349 students returned completed questionnaires. Deficits were found in the students' knowledge of antibiotics and their correct use. Only 4% of 9(th) grade students were aware that antibiotics are used to treat bacteria only, while 14% of 12(th) grade students and 29% of first-year university students were aware of this. Fewer students were aware that antibiotics are used to treat tuberculosis. There were deficiencies in the knowledge of timing and duration of therapy. However close to 70% of these students are aware that inappropriate use of antibiotics can contribute to resistance to these drugs.
This study has observed a lack of general knowledge on correct antibiotic use in Portugal, as has been found in other countries. Since this may be due to a lack of formal education on this subject, we believe that a teaching unit on infectious diseases should be included in the 9(th) and 12(th) grades, in all curricular areas, with emphasis on bacterial and viral pathogens and correct antibiotic use. In addition, education on the correct use of medications may need to begin at much earlier ages.
最近的调查显示，公众对正确使用抗生素的知识有限。这导致了抗生素使用不当的问题，导致细菌对这些药物的敏感性逐渐丧失，耐药菌株的传播。
在这项横断面研究中，对葡萄牙北部的中学生 9 年级和 12 年级以及大学一年级的学生样本进行了抗生素使用情况的问卷调查。
349 名学生返回了完整的问卷。学生对抗生素的知识及其正确使用存在缺陷。只有 4%的 9 年级学生知道抗生素仅用于治疗细菌，而 12 年级的 14%和大学一年级的 29%学生知道这一点。更少的学生知道抗生素用于治疗结核病。在治疗时间和持续时间方面存在知识缺陷。然而，近 70%的学生意识到抗生素的不当使用可能导致这些药物产生耐药性。
这项研究观察到葡萄牙普遍缺乏正确使用抗生素的知识，这在其他国家也有发现。由于这可能是由于缺乏关于这个主题的正规教育，我们认为应该在所有课程领域的 9 年级和 12 年级都开设传染病教学单元，重点介绍细菌和病毒病原体以及正确使用抗生素。此外，可能需要在更早的年龄开始进行正确使用药物的教育。
