Compliance towards post-exposure prophylaxis of rabies vaccination among animal bite patients at a tertiary care hospital in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh: A retrospective study.

Rabies caused by lyssavirus is almost always deadly, with 59,000 deaths occurring in Asia and Africa due to poor access to PEP(Post- exposure prophylaxis). Hence, aretrospective study of 850 animal bite cases (April-September 2023) was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. Most patients were males (74.9%) and aged 21-30 years (23.9%), with Category II exposure being the most common (84%). Only 44.8% completed the four-dose intradermal ARV regime, with a high dropout rate of 55.2% especially after Dose 3. Thus, we show a major compliance gap, emphasizing the need for improved follow-up systems and targeted health education.