The indiscriminate usage and overuse of antimicrobials in pets or companion animals are underlying causes of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Despite the multi-faceted global challenge presented by antimicrobial resistance, very few studies have appraised pet practitioners’ factors, such as written policy on antimicrobials, dose rate prescribed, use of critically important antimicrobials, and antimicrobial prescription in clean surgical procedures, which can contribute to AMR. In the present study, an online cross-sectional survey among randomly selected pet practitioners (n = 104) of various Indian provinces and union territories was conducted using a questionnaire comprising 33 closed-ended questions on different parameters, viz., the dosage regimen and level of compliance towards guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), other relevant veterinary associations, and their opinion while prescribing antimicrobials. Almost every practitioner of the 104 respondents had revealed the difficulties with owner compliance; i.e., incomplete course of the antibiotics, inappropriate follow-ups, and improper care of the sick animals. The majority of practitioners (95%) reported self-prescription of antimicrobials by the owner before presenting the pet(s) to the veterinary clinic, whereas more than half of the respondents (64%) revealed unavailability of antibiogram facilities. Furthermore, a large number (76%) of practitioners stated empirical treatment based on their experience as the main criteria for antimicrobial choice in the absence of timely results from the laboratory. Although non-necessitated use of antimicrobials in clean surgical procedures has been claimed, surprisingly, the majority of pet practitioners (97%) reported their use to reduce the post-operative complications. The use of the highest priority, critically important antimicrobials (HPCIA) listed by the WHO for humans, particularly quinolones and third-generation cephalosporin, also has been reported for different infections. The treatment durations were nearly as per the recommended guidelines issued by the Danish Small Animal Veterinary Association (DSAVA) for different ailments. Analysis using chi-square tests exhibited a significant correlation between less experienced veterinarians (less than 5 years) and prescription of antimicrobials restricted for critically important infections in human medicine. However, there seems to be no association between the experience of the practitioner and the further studied parameters, namely, antimicrobial regimen prescription, weighing the animals before prescription, dose rate calculation, and antimicrobial selection and use after clean surgical operations. The findings suggest periodic awareness campaigns among practitioners regarding the implementation of the official guidelines, the need for systematic surveillance of AMR, awareness among pet owners about antimicrobial resistance, and the importance of rational use of antimicrobials on their pets.

中文翻译：

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印度宠物从业者对抗菌药物的态度、意见和工作偏好调查

在宠物或伴侣动物中滥用和过度使用抗菌剂是抗菌素耐药性 (AMR) 的根本原因。尽管抗菌素耐药性带来了多方面的全球挑战，但很少有研究评估宠物从业者的因素，例如抗菌剂的书面政策、规定的剂量率、至关重要的抗菌剂的使用以及清洁外科手术中的抗菌剂处方，这可能有助于到 AMR。在本研究中，随机选择的宠物从业者（n= 104) 的印度各省和联邦领土使用问卷进行问卷调查，该问卷包括 33 个关于不同参数的封闭式问题，即剂量方案和对世界卫生组织 (WHO) 指导方针的遵守程度，其他相关兽医协会，以及他们在开抗生素处方时的意见。在 104 名受访者中，几乎所有从业者都透露了业主合规的困难；即不完整的抗生素疗程、不适当的随访和对患病动物的不当护理。大多数从业者 (95%) 报告说，在将宠物带到兽医诊所之前，主人会自行开具抗菌药物处方，而超过一半的受访者 (64%) 表示无法使用抗菌谱设备。此外，大量（76%）从业者表示，在实验室没有及时提供结果的情况下，经验性治疗是根据他们的经验选择抗菌药物的主要标准。尽管有人声称在清洁手术过程中不必要使用抗菌剂，但令人惊讶的是，大多数宠物从业者 (97%) 报告说使用抗菌剂来减少术后并发症。世界卫生组织列出的用于人类的最优先、最重要的抗微生物药物 (HPCIA) 的使用，特别是喹诺酮类药物和第三代头孢菌素，也有报道用于不同的感染。治疗持续时间几乎符合丹麦小动物兽医协会 (DSAVA) 针对不同疾病发布的推荐指南。使用卡方检验的分析表明，经验不足的兽医（少于 5 年）与限制用于人类医学中极为重要的感染的抗菌药物处方之间存在显着相关性。然而，从业者的经验与进一步研究的参数之间似乎没有关联，即抗菌方案处方、处方前动物称重、剂量率计算以及清洁手术后抗菌剂的选择和使用。研究结果表明，从业人员定期开展宣传活动，了解官方指南的实施、系统监测 AMR 的必要性、宠物主人对抗菌素耐药性的认识，以及在宠物身上合理使用抗菌剂的重要性。