Primary local wound management practices and initiation of post-exposure prophylaxis among animal bite victims in a teaching institution hospital of Central India.

CONTEXT: Rabies is associated with sociocultural practices and myths leading to ineffective management of wound due to animal bite among the victims making it prime importance in the field of primary health care. As per World Health Organization (WHO), 79% do not receive anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) with lacunae of number requiring post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

AIM: To identify the primary local wound management practices, initiation of PEP and association of various factors with the local wound management practices among the animal bite victims.

SETTINGS AND

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a teaching institution hospital, Jabalpur.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study was conducted among animal bite victims for a period of 6 months, till the completion of sample size of 515. Data collection was done by means of pre-tested, self-structured questionnaire by face-to-face interview technique after obtaining informed consent from them.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data entered in MS-Excel, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS v27.0 software.

RESULTS

Majority of the victims did local primary management of wound by application of antiseptic without washing 126 (24.47%), and maximum adopted improper primary local wound management 506 (98.25%) and majority were initiated PEP. Those did improper management maximum were educated till school level 321 (84.47%); odds ratio = 7.25 (1.58-33.25); P = 0.003.

CONCLUSIONS

Maximum of the victims reported adopted improper local primary management of wound practices, and majority were initiated PEP. The victims with better education level did proper management of wound than that of illiterate ones and school level education, due to better awareness level.