Supervisors info:
Ιωάννης Τούντας, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική, ΕΚΠΑ
Κυριάκος Σουλιώτης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Κοινωνικών και Πολιτικών Επιστημών, Πανεπιστήμιο Πελοποννήσου
Μαρία Καντζανού, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
General Part: Microbial resistance is a worldwide problem that troubles health care services. As therapeutic options seem to end, since the economic benefit from the creation of new antibiotics is limited, microbial resistance troubles even more the health care services at a political as well as an administrative and clinical level. High antibiotic resistance increases the risk of mortality, the duration and cost of hospitalization and undermines the health system. Selective pressure is guided by antibiotic resistance and intranosocomial dissemination. Resistant strains at methicillin of Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) are observed in the community that influence hospitals too, while multiresistant Gram negative bacteria can be found in hospitals. The unwise use of antibiotics plays an important role in agriculture, husbandry and fish farming, as well as the use of detergents and antiseptics in tap water, facts that make essential the One Health approach.
The problem has reached most important dimensions in Greece, mostly because of the unwise use of antibiotics and the understaffing of nurses, so as to be the number one priority of WHO for Greece. There is lack of political will in Greece for the finding of solution to the problem and there is lack of coordination both centrally (Ministry of Health, KEELPNO) and regionally (hospitals) even though there is adequate legislature, but it is not applied as it should. The National Action Plan for the Dealing of Microbial Resistance to Antibiotics and Infections in Health Service Places was planned to be applied from 2008 to 2012 and, despite its completeness, it is not applied. There is the National Action Plan “Procrustes” too and the central surveillance of microbial resistance in hospitals is done by the software WHONET.
Special Part: Qualitative Research “Investigation of the problem of microbial resistance in Greece”
Aim: The aim of the survey was to investigate qualitatively the problem of microbial resistance at the expert, hospital (nosocomial infection committee –management) levels and the cooperation of hospitals with the central stakeholders in charge (Ministry of Health, KEELPNO).
Materials – Methodology: 3 different questionnaires were used that were sent to 6 experts on the problem of microbial resistance in Greece and to the 13 hospitals of EDNYPY, to administrative services and the nosocomial infections committees. 4 experts answered the questionnaire out of the 6, 7 administrative services out of the 13 and 6 nosocomial infections committees out of the 13.
Results: The recognition of the importance of the problem in Greece is undermined and that there is lack of political will and coordination, especially between the Health System Stakeholders.
Conclusion: The main difference in the dealing of the problem in Greece from the developed countries is in the coordination of the stakeholders.
