Physicians attitudes and opinions about bacteriophage therapy

Rezistencija bakterija na antibiotike je ozbiljan globalni problem koji je potaknuo razmatranje „ne-antibiotskih“ mogućnosti liječenja i prevencije bakterijskih infekcija tzv. alternative antibioticima. Najpoznatije alternative antibioticima koje se trenutno istražuju su protutijela, probiotici, bakteriofagi, lizini bakteriofaga, antimikrobni peptidi, imunostimulirajući produkti i cjepiva. Bakteriofagi su virusi koji mogu inficirati i lizirati specifičnu bakteriju. Otkriveni su 1915. godine, ali otkrićem antibiotika i zaboravljeni u većem dijelu svijeta. Razvojem rezistencije, vratio se interes za bakteriofage i njihovu ulogu u liječenju rezistentnih bakterijskih infekcija.Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati stavove i mišljenja liječnika o rezistenciji na antibiotike i alternativama antibioticima, posebice o bakteriofagima. Za potrebe ovog istraživanja korišten je kvantitativni pristup prikupljanja podataka pomoću validiranog upitnika, a ispitanici su bili liječnici Republike Hrvatske, većinom liječnici obiteljske medicine i specijalisti kliničke mikrobiologije.Većina liječnika u Hrvatskoj smatra rezistenciju bakterija na antibiotike vrlo ozbiljnim problemom. Najviše liječnika u Hrvatskoj je upoznato s probioticima, cjepivima i protutijelima kao alternativama antibioticima. Liječnici u Hrvatskoj nisu dovoljno upoznati s terapijom bakteriofagima, ali su izrazili interes za dodatnim informacijama. Liječnici u Hrvatskoj nemaju izražen negativan stav prema bakteriofagima, ali niti pozitivan. Antibiotic resistance is a serious global problem that has encouraged consideration of "non-antibiotic" possibilities for treatment and prevention of bacterial infections, so called alternatives to antibiotics. The most known alternatives to antibiotics, currently being investigated, are antibodies, probiotics, bacteriophages, lysins, antimicrobial peptides, immune stimulation and vaccines. Bacteriophages are viruses that can infect and lyse a specific bacterium. They were discovered in 1915 but soon forgoten, in most of the world, after the antibiotic discovery. Now, beacuse of antibiotic resistance, the interest for bacteriophages and their role in the treatment of resistant bacterial infections has returned. The aim of this study was to examine the physicians' attitudes and opinions regarding antibiotic resistance and alternatives to antibiotics, especially bacteriophages. For the purposes of this study, the quantitative questionnaire was designed and validated, and physicians from Croatia, mostly general medicine practitioners and clinical microbiology specialists were included in the study. Most physicians in Croatia consider antibiotic resistance a very serious problem. Most physicians in Croatia are familiar with probiotics, vaccines and antibodies as antibiotic alternatives. Physicians in Croatia are not sufficiently familiar with bacteriophage therapy but would like to know more about it. Physicians in Croatia do not show a negative, but neither positive, attitude towards bacteriophages.