Canine bite management awareness and practices among health care workers in a rural area of Assam

Abstract Background Rabies is a deadly but preventable viral disease which can be completely prevented through timely intervention. A significant number of rabies cases go undetected and underreported, especially in developing countries like India. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, awareness of and access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), including rabies immunoglobulin, continue to be poor. The study shall enable us to design a training module tailored to the findings of shortcomings in the different domains. Methods It was an explanatory sequential design in mixed-methods research. Along with looking at the quantitative aspects of level of Knowledge & practice, the study also attempted to explore the factors and various existing notions and preconceptions amongst health care workers engaged in health care settings in a rural district of Assam, India. A sample size of 130 was taken for the quantitative arm, 3 FGDs & 3 IDIs were done amongst the study participants to determine their knowledge & practices about canine bites. Results Only 53.1% of the participants had ‘good’ knowledge on the subject, while 62% had ‘satisfactory’ levels of practice. 92% of the study participants had not received any training specific to canine bite management. Amongst the factors associated with better practice were: age <30 years, female gender, and having a Medical or Nursing educational background. Most of the ground-level workers during the FGDs pointed out that whatever they had learned about management was through an informal channel from the higher-ups (Medical & Nursing Officers); however, no formal training program was conducted which corroborated with our Quantitative findings. Conclusions Significant deficiencies were noted in areas like proper wound management, usage of PEP, and understanding of the timing and routes for vaccines. Based on the findings, a training module is being chalked out for the HCWs in the district. Key messages • The gap in knowledge and practice was determined and its causes explored. • There is a need for dedicated training of the ground level health care workers.