• Markus Heim, Frederick Schneider, Haitham Mutlak, Christian M Schulz, Thomas Hachenberg, Michael Zoller, Jens Soukup, Michael Pawlik, Julika Schön, Martin Kees, Matthias Hübler, Michael Sander, Christian Ernst, Matthias Jacob, Matthias May, and MR2 Study Group.
• Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, München, Germany.
• Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2019 Sep 1; 63 (8): 1037-1047.

BackgroundHigh rates of multiresistant pathogens require detailed knowledge about rational utilization of antibiotics. Many physicians consider themselves uncertain about the interpretation of microbiological diagnostics. We examined whether self-confidence, self-rated knowledge, and objective knowledge regarding the use of antibiotics are associated with gender.MethodsFor this survey study, in 2017, anaesthesiologists and residents of 16 anaesthetic departments in Germany were asked to complete the Multiinstitutional Reconnaissance of practice with Multiresistant bacteria (MR2) survey. It consists of 55 items evaluating self-confidence regarding the practical use of antibiotics (n = 6), self-rated theoretical knowledge (n = 16), and objective knowledge (n = 5). Their answers to these items in relation to their gender were analysed using Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis-H-Tests, and unadjusted as well as adjusted logistic regression models.ResultsSix hundred eighty-four (response rate: 53.9 %) questionnaires were returned and were available for analysis. Female doctors (35.5 %) felt less self-confident (P < 0.001). Self-rated knowledge differed in overall mean (P = 0.014) and the unadjusted (odds ratio [OR]: 0.55; P = 0.013) but not in the adjusted logistic regression (OR: 0.84; P = 0.525). Objective knowledge differed after pooling questions (61.2% correct answers vs 65.4%, P = 0.01) but not with respect to single items and the adjusted logistic regression (OR: 0.83, P = 0.356).ConclusionLess self-confidence and a lower self-rated knowledge were found in female anaesthetists; this is consistent to the gender phenomena observed by other researchers. Nevertheless, between the 2 groups objective knowledge did not differ significantly in any item.© 2019 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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