Antibiotic Consumption Behaviour of Dental Patients Attending in Tertiary Hospital

Background: The consumption of antibiotics is increasing globally and in dentistry, it is increasing day by day at an alarming rate. The irrational consumption of antibiotics results not only in the emergence of antibiotic resistance but also in various adverse reactions and imposes financial burden on health system. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the antibiotic consumption behaviour of dental patients attending in tertiary hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Dhaka Dental College Hospital from July 2020 to June 2021 among 195 dental patients. After obtaining informed written consent, data were collected by face to face interview using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire and checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 version. Pearson’s Chi-square test and Likelihood Ratio were done to assess the association with 5% level of significance. Results: In this study, mean (±SD) age of the dental patients was 41.11 (±14.09) years. Majority of the patients were male (52.8%). More than half (52.8%) of the patients’ monthly family income was ≤20000 BDT with predominant urban dwellers (72.8%). Mean (±SD) antibiotic consumption behaviour score of the patients were 10.96 (±3.879) and behaviour categories were good behaviour (35.9%), average behaviour (32.8%) and poor behaviour (31.8%) respectively. More than half of the patients (56.4%) sometimes forgot or missed any of their antibiotics and about one-fourth (26.7%) of the patients were not aware that they were prescribed antibiotics for their dental conditions. Antibiotic consumption behaviour showed significant association with educational status (p<0.001), occupation (p<0.010), residence (p<0.002), family income (p<0.001) and awareness about antibiotics (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed improper antibiotic consumption behaviour among a large number of dental patients. Behaviour change communication measures focusing on both prescribers and dental patients is recommended to reduce inappropriate consumption of antibiotics and to promote rational usage. Bangladesh Medical Res Counc Bull 2023; 49(2): 91-97