Knowledge and practices of young general practitioners with regard to knee and epidural infiltrations in Cameroon

BACKGROUND: Due to the shortage of rheumatologists in Cameroon, general practitioners (GPs) play a crucial role in providing knee and epidural infiltrations. This study aimed to assess their knowledge and practices related to these procedures. METHODS: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted between January and February 2025 among Cameroonian GPs who had graduated within the past five years and had been in clinical practice for at least 12 months. Knowledge and practice were assessed through an online questionnaire and graded as good, average or poor. Factors associated with poor results are presented with the odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of the 202 respondents (51% men), 94.1% were trained in Cameroon, and had an average of three years' experience. Most of the respondents had an average level of knowledge regarding knee infiltration (67.3%), epidural infiltration (49.2%), and practice (67.3%). Factors associated with poor knowledge were: female gender (OR: 3.46 [1.62; 7.41]) and less than four weeks of undergraduate rheumatology internship (OR: 3.12 [1.05; 9.22]) for knee infiltration; female gender (OR: 3.65 [1.65; 8.09]), less than four weeks of undergraduate rheumatology internship (OR 5.38 [1.71; 16.89]) and shorter than three years of medical practice (OR: 2.52 [1.2; 5.26]) for epidural infiltration. Not having attended a course/workshop on infiltration was associated with a poor level of practice (OR: 4.47 [1.09; 18.36]). CONCLUSION: The level of knowledge and practice among GPs is rated as average overall. There is a need to improve their undergraduate and postgraduate training.