The vaccinating hospital: Multiparametric evaluation of the post-vaccinal outcome on the development of infections, antibiotic therapy and resistance

Background: The moment of vaccination counseling also represents a very important tool in the hands of the healthcare operator because it gives the possibility to interact directly with the vaccinated person. Our aim is the analysis of perception, attitudes, knowledge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in a cohort of chronic patients and the evaluation of the effect of vaccination counseling on these parameters. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the AOU “G. Martino” of Messina from 1 April 2022 to 1 October 2022, at the vaccination center of the Hospital Hygiene, after collection of informed consent and administration of the chosen vaccination. The study was carried out by completing a questionnaire created _ad hoc _by phone_ _to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of antibiotics as well as the role of vaccination counseling on the posthumous use of antibiotics and on the development of infections. Results: 47 individuals joined the study, 44.68% male and 55.32% female. It was possible to highlight a satisfactory level of knowledge of antibiotics and the concept of antibiotic resistance, with a percentage of just over 80% of the participants who answered correctly to the questions formulated. 23.4% had never heard of antibiotic resistance and more than half of the sample did not know the correct definition. The counseling carried out after the administration of the vaccine, approximately 47% of the sample used antibiotics, all of these followed the therapy indicated by the doctor and only one case was found to have antibiotic resistance. Conclusion: From the data in our possession, it emerges that vaccination combined with adequate patient counseling by hospital vaccination center operators are activities of fundamental importance in order to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics both through the direct effect than indirect especially in the category of patients considered “fragile”.