Knowledge, attitude and self-care practices among pemphigus vulgaris patients – A cross-sectional study

Objectives: Pemphigus is a life-threatening autoimmune vesiculobullous disease requiring long-term treatment with immunosuppressants. It can cause a negative impact on the quality of life of the patient. Understanding the patient’s perspective of the disease will help the healthcare provider to correct the knowledge, attitude, and self-care practices to improve the patient’s outcome. The present study was aimed at evaluating the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of patients with pemphigus vulgaris in a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical questionnaire-based study was carried out among 42 patients with pemphigus vulgaris attending the Department of Dermatology in a tertiary care center to assess the KAP of patients about their disease. The data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Results: Forty-two consecutive patients were included in this study with a mean age of 52 ± 13 years. Male: female ratio was 1:1.7. 40.5% of patients knew that pemphigus was an autoimmune disease. There was a statistically significant association between the knowledge about the cause of the disease and the educational level of the patient, with p = 0.0065. 100% knew that it was non-contagious. 59.5% patients knew the chronic nature of the disease, and 83.3% of patients knew that steroids were a treatment option, and among them, 94.3% were aware of at least one side effect of steroid. 71.4% of patients were aware of the availability of rituximab as an effective treatment option. 31% of the study population felt that their mental health was affected by the disease. 73.8% of the patients were concerned about the side effects of steroid. 95.2% patients on rituximab felt that their outlook on life changed for the better after starting this drug. 83.3% of pemphigus patients came for regular review, 85.7% adhered to their prescribed drugs, and 90.5% of the patients took steps to reduce the side effects of systemic steroids. Limitations: Being a single-center study with limited sample size,the findings of the study may not be generalizable. Conclusion: The majority of our patients had reasonable knowledge and a fairly good attitude toward the disease and maintained effective self-care practices. However, there is scope for improvement.