Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the general awareness about the use of antibiotics among the residents of Buraidah city, the capital of Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, and to determine what measures should be considered to decrease or eliminate the factors associated with antimicrobial resistance.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population that was randomly chosen in a multistep sampling technique using random digits table by providing a verified questioner. Data were analyzed using a statistical package for the social sciences version 16.
Results: Our sample size was 141 participants, most of them were Saudis (94.4%) and were collected in systematic random technique, from primary health care centers. It involved 82.3% males and 17.7% females. Participants’ age varied from 16 to 68 years, and the sample included all educational levels but most of them were either completed high school (29.8%) or held a bachelor’s degree (34%). Most of the participants, 47.5%, have a monthly income of more than 5,000 Riyals. We found that 75.2% of the participants thought that flu and common cold could be treated with antibiotics, 46.1% for fever, and 22% for headache.
Conclusion: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious problem. It needs an urgent intervention from both health administrations and educational origination to create awareness regarding the use of antibiotics among the general population. We suggest to strictly follow the regulations and to implement measures that can encounter the growing resistance of antibiotics among pathogenic bacteria.

Key words: Antibiotic resistance, Superbug, antimicrobial resistance, AMR