Introduction: The irrational use of medicines leads to a decrease in the quality of care, an increase in treatment costs and side effects. In the case of antibacterial drugs, in addition to all the above-mentioned consequences, their improper use can lead to an aggravation of the existing and quite challenging problem of our time – the growth of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of the study: to determine the level of basic knowledge of medical specialists in the field of a rational use of antimicrobial drugs (AMD). Materials and methods: The study was based on an analysis of an anonymous multicenter survey in the framework of the KANT project (the full name of the project is “Physicians’ (Students’) Knowledge of Antimicrobials Usage”). It was conducted in 2018–2019 in 10 major centers of Russia. Results and iscussion: According to the results of the study, the respondents showed a low level of knowledge of the rational use of antibacterial drugs. The best results are obtained for questions No.1 (time interval for evaluating the effectiveness of the initial antimicrobial therapy (AMT)), No.2 (rationality and period of AMD change with a positive clinical effect), and No.9 (determining the mode of using the proposed drugs), whereas the worst results were obtained for questions No.3 (determining irrational combinations of AMD), No.4 (determining a situation requiring a long course of AMT), and No.7 (choosing auxiliary drugs for bacterial respiratory infections). Conclusion: The results obtained in the study indicate the need for additional educational activities among health professionals.

The assessment of physicians' and senior medical students’ knowledge in the field of community-acquired pneumonia: preliminary results of the KNOCAP-II project (2017-2019).

Introduction. Arterial hypertension (AH) is a syndrome accompanied by an increase in systolic blood pressure (BP)140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP90 mmHg. It is a progressive pathology that affects the adult employable population and leads to the development of deadly complications. Aim. To compare the level of physicians knowledge in AHs definition, diagnosis and treatment in different centers of Russia. Materials and methods. In the framework of the multicenter study PHYSTARH (the full name of the project Physicians and undergraduates knowledge in arterial hypertension treatment), which was launched in 2017, an anonymous survey was conducted among 425 doctors from 9 cities/regions of Russia (Belgorod Region, Moscow, Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Adygea, Voronezh, Primorye Territory, Tatarstan, Lipetsk, Chelyabinsk). Results. The study revealed an insufficient level of doctors knowledge in diagnosis and treatment of AH. Less than half of the respondents correctly answered the following questions: determining hypertension by the level of home monitoring of BP (36% of physicians), determining the degree of hypertension for the proposed numerical values (37% of physicians), definition and prevalence of the refractory hypertension (33% of physicians), definition of the masked hypertension (45% of physicians), the need for drug correction of high normal BP (9% of physicians), selection of the main classes of antihypertensive drugs without clinical situations (26% of physicians). Conclusion. The physicians knowledge on AH is unsatisfactory, despite the prevalence of pathology and the availability of clinical guidelines, which, in our view, justifies the need for additional public education programs for doctors in different regions.

Background. Arterial hypertension is a multifactorial disease accompanied by an increase in systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure above the established values. Uncontrolled blood pressure can cause various complications, which will lead to either disability or death of the patient. Aim. To assess the compliance of the level of doctors knowledge with current clinical guidelines in the treatment of arterial hypertension. Materials and methods. Within the framework of the PHYSTARH multicenter study, we presented the results of an anonymous prospective survey to assess the level of physicians knowledge and pharmacotherapeutic preferences in the treatment of arterial hypertension. Results. The study involved 425 physicians from 9 regions of Russia: Belgorod, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Chelyabinsk, Moscow, Krasnodar Territory, Primorye Territory, the Republic of Adygea and Tatarstan. In the course of the analysis, we revealed an insufficiently high level of the respondents knowledge in the treatment of arterial hypertension. Less than half of the respondents chose the indication of combination therapy as a therapeutic intervention in which the effectiveness of lowering blood pressure increases about 5 times more than when the dose of the original drug is doubled; correctly indicated the pharmacological group for the proposed drug (methyldopa), determined the indication for the use of aspirin in patients with hypertension, selected the optimal antihypertensive therapy for the proposed clinical situations, indicated absolutely contraindicated antihypertensive drugs in pregnancy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusion. The need for additional educational activities among physicians was established to improve the quality of knowledge on the basic aspects of hypertension, because a significant number of key questions on this topic cause difficulties for respondents.

Objective. To determine the level of basic knowledge of senior students of medical universities in the rational use of AMP. Materials and Methods. Analysis of an anonymous multicenter survey in the framework of the “KANT” project (the full name of the project is “Physicians’ (Students ’) knowledge in antimicrobials usage”), conducted in 2018–2019 in 6 cities of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Results. The study revealed a low level of knowledge of senior students in the field of antibiotic therapy and the empirical use of AMP. The best results are shown by students when answering questions “time interval for evaluating the effectiveness of starting antimicrobial therapy”, “rationality and the period of changing AMP with a positive clinical effect”, and “choice of tactics for treating acute tonsillitis/pharyngitis”; the worst – for questions “choice of first-line AMP in the treatment of various infections”, “choice of adjuvant drugs for bacterial infections of the respiratory tract”, and “determination of irrational combinations of AMP”. Conclusions. According to the results of this study, senior students showed a low level of knowledge in the basic issues of the rational use of AMP and the principles of antibiotic therapy in general, which indicates the urgent need for additional educational activities among this category of respondents and an increase in the number of academic hours in the disciplines “Pharmacology” and “Clinical” pharmacology in universities.

Background. Arterial hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for the development of life-threatening cardiovascular complications. Early diagnosis and optimal treatment are the key to success in the fight against this pathology. Aim. To analyze the knowledge of senior medical students from different regions in the basic issues of hypertension. Materials and methods. The article presents the results of the first stage of the multicenter PHYSTARH study (the full name of the project is Physicians and undergraduates knowledge in arterial hypertension treatment). An anonymous questionnaire (pharmacoepidemiological survey) was conducted among 314 senior medical students from 6 cities of Russia and Ukraine. Results. The study revealed the average level of senior students knowledge. The average level of correct answers to the questions in the first part of the questionnaire was 49.4%. The minimum level of correct answers was obtained in the questions of determining hypertension by the value of home blood pressure monitoring, determining the degree of hypertension for a blood pressure of 140/110 mm Hg, the incidence of resistant hypertension, indications for drug correction of high normal blood pressure, the choice of the optimal class of drugs for initial antihypertensive therapy. The maximum level of correct answers was registered only for the question about the definition of hypertension. Conclusion. The results of the study indicate an insufficiently high level of students basic knowledge in the classification and treatment of hypertension.