An assessment of knowledge of prevention and management of Rabies in interns and final year students of Shri M. P. Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat

Abstract

Background: Rabies is one of the most important zoonotic diseases in India. Dogs are the main reservoir of rabies in India. In Southeast Asia, untreated, improperly treated or neglected cases lead to thousands of death yearly. Rabies can be completely prevented through proper management, but once contracted its almost always fatal. Objectives: To assess the knowledge regarding preventive measures, post-exposure prophylaxis, wound management and use of RIG among the interns and final year medical students of Shri M.P. Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study conducted in July, 2013. Data was collected using pre-tested questionnaire from 100 interns and final year students of Shri M.P. Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat. Results: It was seen that only 59% knew that vaccination of dogs was an essential preventive measure, 80% and 68% agreed that pre-exposure vaccination and educating the people regarding pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis were useful, respectively. Also 89% and 59% were aware that wound should be washed immediately and antiseptics should be applied, respectively. 50% and 29% were not aware of the schedule and dose of the PEP, respectively. Only 35% knew about both IM and ID route of administration of PEP. Only 66% were aware that the site of administration of PEP is deltoid. Conclusion: The study showed that there was no proper knowledge about the prevention and management of rabies in the study population which needs to be overcome immediately with proper training.