eISSN: 2449-8580
ISSN: 1734-3402
Family Medicine & Primary Care Review
Current issue Archive Manuscripts accepted About the journal Editorial board Reviewers Abstracting and indexing Subscription Contact Instructions for authors Publication charge Ethical standards and procedures
Editorial System
Submit your Manuscript
SCImago Journal & Country Rank
3/2019
vol. 21
 
Share:
Share:
abstract:
Original paper

Survey of Lyme disease management in primary care in Poland

Piotr Gutknecht
1
,
Magdalena Ewa Reiwer-Gostomska
1
,
Mikołaj Niemczyński
1
,
Konrad Siebert
1
,
Bartosz Gabriel Trzeciak
1
,
Janusz Siebert
1

1.
Family Medicine Department, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland
Family Medicine & Primary Care Review 2019; 21(3): 214–217
Online publish date: 2019/11/08
View full text Get citation
 
PlumX metrics:
Background
Lyme disease (LD ) is the most frequent tick-borne human disease in the world. In patients with nonspecific or late-onset symptoms, LD is still a challenge for family physicians (FPs). Some studies which have been published on LD management by FPs revealed a deviation from the guideline recommendations and clinical practice.

Objectives
The aim of this study was to determine the common practice of FPs in the treatment of LD and whether these practices align with the guideline recommendations.

Material and methods
The study consisted of a survey of 54 FPs, including 46 women and 8 men at a mean age of 39.4 ± 10 years. An anonymous online questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was based on the guidelines for diagnosing and treating LD .

Results
Most of the respondents work in a city (63%) or a small town (22.2%). 96.3% of them practice in primary care. 70.4% of the FPs had experienced a tick bite and 3.7% of them developed LD . 22.2% reported Lyme disease in their family. All of the respondents indicated erythema migrans (EM) as a characteristic symptom of LD , but only 3.7% of them reported that they would send their patients for serological testing. 18.5% of FPs considered seropositivity to be an indication for prescribing antibiotics. 85.2% of FPs correctly classified whether other than EM signs and symptoms were related to LD . 85.2% of the respondents said they would report LD to the Polish Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Conclusions
Our study did not reveal a major deviation from the guideline recommendations. We found some FP misinterpretation, such as serology testing or antibiotherapy for asymptomatic patients. FPs should be trained at the clinical and epidemiological level. Up-to-date guidelines should be provided to FPs in order to limit inappropriate practices.

keywords:

surveys and questionnaires, general practitioners, Lyme disease, knowledge

 
Quick links
© 2024 Termedia Sp. z o.o.
Developed by Bentus.