ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the frequency of awareness about the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) among healthcare practitioners in Karachi.

Study Design: Cross sectional survey.

Place and Duration of the Study: Private Clinics and Private Hospitals of Karachi from1stApril to 30thOctober 2019.

Methodology: Two hundred and ninety two general practitioners who were doing practice, consulted by PAD patients were included. Awareness was considered if the GP selected clinical examination, pulse examination, ABI Scale, MRI, and angiography. If any three was present then was labelled as awareness. Gender, age and duration of practice were noted.

Results: There were 94.9% males and 5.1% females. Mean age was 39.17±3.86 years. The mean duration of practicing years was 10.06±3.16 years. 78.8% diagnosed PAD by clinical examination, 69.5% by pulse examination, 27.4% by ABI scale, 25.7% by MRI, and 29.1% by angiography. 30.8% general practitioners were aware diagnostic test used for PVD. There was significant association of awareness with age and years of practice.

Conclusion: Level of awareness about screening and diagnosis of PAD was low among general practitioners.

Keywords: Awareness, Peripheral arterial disease, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Healthcare Practitioners