Abstract
Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) continue to be a significant cause of postoperative morbidity, extended hospital stays, and higher healthcare expenses, especially in areas with low resources and high rates of inappropriate antibiotic usage. Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) have been suggested as a successful way to lower SSI rates by enhancing healthcare professionals' understanding of and adherence to sensible antibiotic use.
Objective: "This experimental study aims to assess the effects of an antibiotic stewardship program on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward preventing surgical site infections (SSIs) in teaching hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan."
Methods: 110 nurses who worked in surgical wards at particular teaching hospitals participated in a pre-test/post-test experimental design. Before and after a four-week antibiotic stewardship intervention that included educational sessions, bedside training, and reinforcement of standard SSI-prevention protocols, a structured, validated questionnaire measuring knowledge of antibiotic resistance, attitudes toward rational antibiotic use, and self-reported infection-prevention practices was given. Paired t-tests were used to examine the data, with a significance level of p<0.05.
Results: All three domains showed statistically significant gains after the intervention, according to an analysis of the data gathered. The average knowledge scores rose from 12.4±3.2 to 17.1±2.1, indicating a better comprehension of stewardship and antibiotic resistance. The average attitude scores increased from 28.6±4.7 to 35.8±3.9, suggesting a more positive attitude toward the sensible use of antibiotics. The mean practice scores increased from 14.9±3.5 to 21.3±2.8, indicating improved compliance with SSI prevention measures such aseptic technique and hand cleanliness. The antibiotic stewardship intervention had a quantifiable and significant impact on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as evidenced by the statistical significance of these improvements across all domains (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding SSI prevention can be significantly enhanced by targeted antibiotic stewardship education. In order to improve infection-prevention outcomes, these findings support the incorporation of organized stewardship programs into regular nursing education in teaching hospitals.