Evaluation of Knowledge about Short Stature in Pediatrics Residents

Abstract

Objective: evaluate the knowledge on diagnosis and treatment of short stature acquired during the medical residency of Pediatrics and Endocrinology Pediatrics. Material and methods: comparative and cross-sectional study with qualitative and quantitative methodology. It was 20 residents (eight sophomores and eight of the third-year Pediatrics Residency as well as four of Pediatric Endocrinology) and three focus groups were formed. There were presented various clinical bullets of short stature cases (two normal variants and seven of short stature of pathological origin). Each bullet had growth graphs and five questions with multiple choice answers that evaluated the diagnosis and the treatment used. Results: the average rating of knowledge was 6.0. There was no significant difference in the proportion of correct answers of the three groups in the bullets with normal variants (p≥0.05). However, knowledge of pathological short stature in terms of certain diagnostic and therapeutic were greater in Pediatric Endocrinology residents and in the second year of Pediatrics residents than in the third-year Pediatrics residents (p≤0.05). Conclusions: this  study showed the need to provide the clinical services with all the necessary tools to properly evaluate the growth of children. It is suggested to re-evaluate the teaching program of growth and development in the Pediatrics residents.