Knowledge and Practices of Wound Care Among Animal Bite Cases Attended at Institute of Public Health

Animal bite is common in Bangladesh. A cross sectional  type of descriptive study was carried out at the Institute of  Public Health (IPH), Dhaka to find out the knowledge and  practices related to wound care among animal bite cases  during the month of February, 1998. A total of 200 patients  were interviewed, 55% of them came from urban area.  Maximum (65.5%) patients were teenagers and adult (above  13 yrs.) with mean age 22.15 yrs. Male and female ratio  was 80.5:19.5. Majority of cases were poor (76.5%) and  only 12% attained educational level of SSC pass or above.  In 92.5% cases dog was the biting animal, 60% of which  were stray. Only 91(45.5%) patients took immediate  measures for wound care. Of them only 11 patients knew  and washed the wound by soap and water and 3 patients did  it after getting advice from physicians. 134 (67%) patients  consulted with physicians one hour to several days after,  whereas 33% within one hour. Among the attending  physicians 31.5% were MBBS doctors but 57.5% were  Kabiraz, Fakir, Moullana and others. In 50 present animal  bite cases, Fold remedies or herbal medicine were advised  in comparison to 42% for vaccination. But only 3 (1.5%)  patients got the message of wound care by washing with  soap and water. Emphasis on planning on educational  programme on "What people should do after an animal  bite" has been recommended. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v24i1.14111 Medicine TODAY Vol.24(1) 2012 pp.27-30