| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 9
| Issue : 5 | Page : 38-42 |
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Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis against coronavirus disease-19: Knowledge and practice among health-care professionals
HG Ashoka1, CR Venkatesh1, MC Smitha2, SH Nandhini1
1 Department of General Medicine, JSS Medical College, JSS AHER, Mysore, Karnataka, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, JSS Medical College, JSS AHER, Mysore, Karnataka, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. C R Venkatesh
#345, 23rd Cross, Vijayanagar Railway Layout, Mysore - 570 016, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijhas.IJHAS_95_20
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INTRODUCTION: The Indian Council of Medical Research recommended chemoprophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for asymptomatic health-care professionals (HCPs) treating coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). This questionnaire study was aimed at assessing the knowledge and the practice of HCPs on the use of HCQ for prophylaxis of COVID-19.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the knowledge and practice of HCQ prophylaxis among HCPs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study targeting HCPs involved in the management of suspected/confirmed COVID-19. The data were obtained by convenience sampling, collected by a structured tested online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Chi-square analysis and Fisher's exact analysis and Mann–Whitney U-test were used.
RESULTS: Among 135 study participants, about 76% were male and 26% were female, and the mean age was 37 years (standard deviation: 10.35). About 64.5% of the participants took HCQ prophylaxis, and 67.8% among them got an electrocardiogram. Thirty-two percent were using proper personal protective equipments (PPEs) and 11% were unaware of the use of appropriate PPEs. Apprehension associated with HCQ adverse effects in those who were suggested (70%) (P = 0.002) and made mandatory (33.3%) (P < 0.001) by their institutions (P < 0.001) was statistically significant. About 67.8% did not experience side effects. Gastrointestinal side effects were most common. Majority of the study participants who took HCQ prophylaxis were consultant doctors directly involved in patient care (71.2%) (P = 0.018).
CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge and practice with HCQ prophylaxis for COVID-19 was not adequate among the HCPs, and appraisal on proper HCQ dose and need for adequate PPEs and provision of the same could mitigate the false sense of security with HCQ prophylaxis alone.
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