A Questionnaire Survey: Knowledge in Upper Airway Infections among General Practitioners in Malaysia

Background: Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) cases are one of the most frequently seen cases in the primary care setting. The causative agents are either bacteria or virus. It is not easy to differentiate among them. In term of treatment for both conditions, certain principles of treatment are advised to be followed. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and experience of General Practitioners (GPs) on upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) as well as on antibiotics usage. Methods and Materials: In a six months nationwide prospective study, 152 Malaysian GPs participated by answering a questionnaire relating to views on common clinical presentations of upper airway infections, management of disease and the usage of antibiotics. The results from the questionnaire were tabulated and analyzed with SPSS version 22. Results: 67.8% of the participants were from the private sector while the rest were from the government sector. One participant has a postgraduate in family medicine while the remaining have a basic undergraduate degree. In upper airway infections clinical presentation, 61% were able to answer the questionnaire correctly. Around 50 % will wait and assess the symptoms for about 3 – 5 days before starting antibiotics with the penicillin group as the fi rst choice of antibiotics. We also note that 75% of participants adhere to the guidelines for antibiotics prescription. Conclusions: The knowledge and management of upper airway infections are adequate among the GPs in Malaysia. It can however be improved for the benefi t of patients