Have national antimalarial guidelines trickled to general practitioners? A study from Pune, India

Abstract

Background: Malaria is potentially fatal disease accounting for high death rate if not treated appropriately. Factors such as incorrect practices and non-compliance with treatment guidelines are known to cause resistance to treatment. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the study were as follows: (1). To evaluate the awareness and treatment practices of general practitioners (GP) with respect Indian Council of Medical Research 2014 guidelines for the treatment of malaria and (2) to correlate the demographic parameters of participants with their knowledge and practices in treatment of malaria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study to evaluate knowledge and practices of GP regarding treatment of malaria. Ninety-three participants from allopathy, Ayurveda, or homeopathy filled the Google Forms after consenting which comprised demographic details, knowledge and practice of antimalarial drugs. Pearson’s Chi-square test and Mann–Whitney U-test were applied for correlation of various demographic parameters with knowledge and practice methods. Results: About 72% of participants mentioned about awareness of national malaria treatment guidelines. Very few of them knew about role of primaquine in Plasmodium vivax malaria and its correct duration of treatment. About 38.7% had treated P. vivax malaria with injectable artemisinins while 72.4% selected wrong drug for falciparum malaria in pregnant patients. Participants who attended Continuing Medical Education had significantly (P = 0.028) good knowledge regarding malaria treatment guidelines. About 65.6% of participants opted to start treatment after laboratory confirmation and this was significantly correlated with qualification of the practitioners. Conclusion: Even if GP participating in the study agreed to be aware of national malaria treatment guidelines, their knowledge and practices were found to be inappropriate for the treatment of malaria.