BACKGROUND: Dengue has been an important health issue in southern Thailand. However, this area has only a surveillance-prevention system, without step-by-step guidelines on dengue treatment for patients admitted from households to primary care units (PCUs) and district hospitals. Therefore, this study were to develop and use a dengue patient care guideline (DPCG), and to evaluate knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) of dengue patient care.
METHODS: 26 health care providers (13 nurses, and 13 public health officials) from eight PCUs and the district hospital developed the DPCG. The study design was based on the community participatory action research that integrated the Iowa model involving the following steps: preparation, guideline development, use and monitoring, evaluation and conclusion, and referring technology. We assessed the improvement between before and after using the DPCG regarding the participants\' KAP on patient care and preparedness of equipment. McNamara\'s test was used to compare the changing results before and after using the DPCG. Qualitative data collection was performed in two meeting discussions with six open-end items. Using a thematic analysis technique, we extracted conclusions and suggested solutions.
RESULTS: The guideline included four steps for patients\' care provision at households, PCUs, outpatient departments, emergency rooms, and inpatient departments. After using the DPCG in 39 dengue patients of which 30 patients were admitted to the inpatient department1 and two patients were referred to the tertiary care hospital without mortality. The overall participants\' knowledge and attitude, two of six aspects of patients\' care, and three of eight types of equipment management were significantly improved (p < 0.05). Eleven themes were evaluated which were associated with the quantitative data.
CONCLUSIONS: The DPCG instructed dengue patient\'s care for health care providers from households to the PCUs and district hospital. All participants improved KAP, and equipment management. Step-by-step of DPCG use and participation of all stakeholders are needed.

Recently, World Fertility Survey (WFS) Project Director Sir Maurice Kendall summarized WFS 1st report findings. Some of the highlights of Kendall\'s paper, based on the 1st reports of 9 countries (Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand) are as follows: 1) a marked decline in fertility levels is underway in many areas of the Asia and Pacific region; 2) the mean age at 1st marriage is rising, moderately in some countries but sharply in others; 3) over 80% of ever-married women have heard of contraception, but use varies widely from 10% in Pakistan to 68% in Fiji; and 4) of the exposed women, between 30-74% of the women, want no more children. Initial success of family planning programs in the Asia and Pacific region is evident in the widespread knowledge of contraceptive methods. Future fertility preferences indicate that on the average more than 1/2 of the exposed women want no more children, suggesting a potential demand for family planning services. Current contraceptive practices make the knowledge, attitude, and practice gap very apparent in the countries of the region.