Abstract

Background: Dengue fever (DF) remains a significant public health concern in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Proper, well-timed diagnosis and risk stratification for severe disease play vital role in the appropriate management of this illness. The responsibility of the primary care physician is important in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of dengue.

Objective: To assess the knowledge and practice of the primary care physicians in Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health regarding the preventive and clinical aspects of DF in Jeddah city, 2014.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted including all primary health-care physicians working in the PHC centres of the MOH in Jeddah, during the period of the study. Self-administered questionnaire consisted of three main parts: sociodemographic data, questions to assess knowledge regarding preventive and clinical part of DF, and questions to assess the practice regarding preventive and clinical part of DF.

Results: Of the 168 physicians invited to participate in the study, 138 returned completed questionnaire, giving a response rate of 82.1%. Almost one-third of them (34.8%) were aged 25–30 years, and only 8.6% were older than 45 years. Almost two-thirds of them (65.9%) were women. Female physicians showed higher significant overall DF knowledge score when compared with male physicians (10.49 ± 1.84 vs. 9.85 ± 1.72; p < 0.05). Most of the physicians (80.5%) always or most of the time performed dengue test if they suspect dengue compared with 7.2% never perform dengue test for suspected cases. Among those who always or most of the time perform a dengue test for suspected cases, leukocyte, platelets, and hematocrit were commonly utilized (75.7%), followed by dengue serology (IgM/IgG) (31.5%). Among those who did not perform dengue test and responded to the question, the most common reported cause was the unavailability of the test at their workplace (75%). Almost two-thirds of physicians (62.3%) cited that their center did not provide to the patients any type of preventive method (repellent, nets, etc.) to avoid mosquito bite.

Conclusion: Primary heath care physicians in Jeddah, KSA, demonstrated adequate general knowledge on select dengue topics. However, a knowledge gap has been reported regarding important issues in clinical presentation, treatment, prevention, and control. Practices regarding frequent clinical monitoring were consistent with local and international guidelines.

Key words: Dengue fever, knowledge, practice, primary care, physicians, Saudi Arabia