Attiya Sabeen Rahman, Qaiser Jamal, Muhammad Asadullah Siddiqui, Mehwish Riaz, Sabeen Aatif, Faisal Suleman.
Knowledge, Skills and Practices of Transient Ischemic Attack Intervention amongst General Practitioners in Karachi, Pakistan.
J Pioneering Med Students Jan ;4(4):146-52.

BACKGROUND: The role of a general practitioner (GP) in the early recognition, assessment and management of transient ischemic attack (TIA) is vital to prevent subsequent stroke. The aim of this study was to determine the GPs knowledge of TIA recognition, assessment, and management. METHODS: The study comprised a questionnaire survey of 228 GPs in all 19 towns of Karachi, Pakistan. The questionnaire consists of demographic details and case scenarios based questions which had three responses (yes, no, do not know). Case scenarios were based on the typical neurological cases seen in general practice. The sections covered risk stratification, investigations, and management of TIA. Questionnaire were provided and briefed to GPs by two-trained research assistants. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0). Data were expressed in frequencies for all questionnaire responses and calculated for all variables in numbers and percentage. Cross tabulation was performed to determine, if there was a relationship between subgroups. Chi-square test was used for comparative analysis. RESULTS: All 228 GPs responded to the survey. Most of the GPs responded correctly to the stratification of risk of TIA, and early risk of subsequent stroke. Majority of the GPs correctly responded to the investigations and the management of TIA. Difficulty in accessing neurological consultation was not identified as a barrier (74%). CONCLUSION: This study concludes that, GPs can recognize TIA reasonably which is a major contribution to the assessment and management of TIA in the community. This is due to the continuous medical education and training in dealing with the specialized groups of patients.

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