Knowledge and experiences of healthcare workers in managing children with neurometabolic disorders in a developing country: a cross-sectional study.
J Trop Pediatr
; 69(4)2023 08 24.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37616068
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the knowledge and experiences of healthcare workers in the management of neurometabolic disorders.METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was carried out among the 132 participants of a continued medical education program conducted in the Department of Pediatrics at a tertiary-care teaching hospital. A questionnaire-based feedback form was circulated among the participants, and their responses were analyzed.RESULTS:
Ninety-three responses were analyzed. The most common pediatric illnesses identified were infections (91%), nutritional (91%), birth-related injuries (44.4%) and metabolic disorders (44.4%). Consanguinity (81.5%) and genetic heterogeneity (42.4%) were recognized as most important causes of neurometabolic disorders. Important steps identified for prevention were prenatal testing (65.6%) and newborn screening at birth (61%); while for improving the diagnosis were routine availability of metabolic investigations (65.3%) and screening at birth (46.6%). Most respondents (58.7%) expressed discomfort in managing a case with inherited metabolic defect due to a lack of knowledge (46.8%) and diagnostic facilities (44.6%). Despite access to testing in the majority, a high cost of testing was noticed for biochemical and genetic investigations. The majority of participants (73%) considered some of the inherited metabolic disorders as treatable. Dietary substitution (89.3%), enzyme replacement (69%), cofactor replacement (53.6%), gene therapy (35.7%) and regular dialysis (16.7%) were considered the treatment options.CONCLUSION:
In spite of growing awareness of inherited metabolic disorders, there are still gaps in knowledge among healthcare workers. It is challenging to diagnose and manage these disorders. Cost-reduction of diagnostic tests, routine newborn screening and increased educational activities are key challenges to be addressed.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Triagem Neonatal
/
Encefalopatias Metabólicas Congênitas
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article