A study on knowledge of animal bite management and rabies immunization among interns of a government medical college in Kolkata

Abstract

Background: Rabies is a zoonotic disease, transmitted by animal bites, mainly dogs. About 99% of all human deaths from rabies occur in the developing nations. It is invariably fatal if proper treatment is not instituted promptly. One of the important factors associated with successful treatment is the knowledge of the care giver in the proper management of animal bites and rabies vaccination. Objectives: To assess among the interns of R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata: The knowledge of animal bite wound management. The knowledge of rabies pre and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Materials and Methods: A predesigned and pretested anonymous questionnaire with structured questions on animal bite and pre- and PEP was distributed among the interns of R.G. Kar Medical College in the month of March 2012. Results: Among the total of 80 interns, 56.3% and 72.6% of interns did not categorize bites into single transdermal bite and licks on broken skin as Cat-III wound. 12.5% of interns were aware of the intradermal route of vaccination. Ten percent of interns could correctly describe the PEP management of Cat-I wounds while 31.2% of interns thought it was necessary to add rabies immunoglobulin in Cat-II wounds. Conclusion: The results of the study reveal that there are significant gaps in the knowledge regarding the management of animal bite injuries and immunisation.