RESUMO
Background: Pressure ulcers, although being very common, are still a neglected field of study in Pakistan. They can result in debilitating complications if not tre9ted early and properly. Proper medical care along with prompt physiotherapy is the idealistic choice in managing pressure ulcers
Objectives: Assess the awareness among doctors about the role of physiotherapy in management of pressure ulcers
Methods: The cross sectional survey involved 200 doctors selected by convenience sampling from government and private hospitals of Karachi. Doctors were interviewed through a structured questionnaire and p value <0.05 was considered as significant
Results: Awareness of physiotherapy among doctors, in managing pressure ulcer patients was83.5% [n=167]. "Usual practice" followed by doctors in their hospital settings, involved the application of various physical agents to enhance pressure ulcer healing such as HVPCs [high voltage pulse current] 18.0% [n=36],US [ultrasound] 28.5% [n=57] and cold laser 11.0% [n=22]. Practices to prevent ulceration included health education sessions only up to 44.5% [n=89]
Conclusion: Our study results showed that there was awareness among doctors about the role of Physiotherapy in management of pressure ulcers, but even after realizing not all the doctors were referring patients for physiotherapy. Further awareness sessions are required for spreading more knowledge among the doctors and the patients and their families to prevent pressure ulceration