ABSTRACT

In endemic regions for tularemia, family physicians are mostly the first physicians form any patients. Thus, to have an adequate knowledge about the diagnosis and follow-up of tularemia is important. It is concluded that the knowledge of the family physicians in Yozgat about the clinical findings and treatments of tularemia should be improved

All family physicians in Yozgat were attended to this research(n=129). Their mean age was 33.6 ± 5.4 years. One hundred and one (78.3%) of them were male and 28 (21.7%) were female. The duration of working years of the physicians was 6.4 ± 5. Forty (31%) of family physicians reported that they had at least a patient diagnosed as tularemia. Ninety six of the family physicians were confident in their knowledge about tularemia. However, 15 (15.6%) of them were stated that tularemia was notifiable diseases due to its transmission from human to human. Besides, 35 (36.5%) of them were stated that bleeding occurs in the clinical presentation of tularemia. In family physicians who think that tularemia has bleeding, there was no difference about their working years or duration who spent in the region from the others. While 26 (26.1%) of the family physicians who think they are knowledgeable about tularemia were selecting beta-lactam antibiotics for the treatment as a first choice, 11 (33%) of the other family physicians were using beta-lactam antibiotics (p=0.493).

Family physicians working in the province of Yozgatwere contacted by e-mail regarding completing a questionnaire about tularemia

Tularemia is a zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis specific to the Northern hemisphere. In this study, we aimed to detect the general knowledge of familyphysicians in Yozgat about tularemia