Background: Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of sudden death globally, primarily due to ventricular arrhythmias, which account for 84% of cases. This study intends to assess healthcare providers and medical students’ current knowledge and skills with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in Saudi Arabia.
Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2023 among healthcare providers and medical students in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected via a self-administrated online questionnaire using Google Forms and distributed through social media. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences program.
Results: Among the total of 448 participants, the mean age was 23 ± 8.8 years, 245 (54.7%) had an overall good knowledge about AED usage, and 203 (45.3%) had poor knowledge. However, attitude and self-perception were significantly higher among healthcare providers than among medical students, except for the need for future education and the opinion that AED education is necessary for the general population. In addition, we found a significant association between people’s level of knowledge and multiple factors, including age (p = 0.001) and those with BLS in their curriculum or had trained in BLS in comparison to 44.2% of others who did not (p = 0.021).
Conclusion: Based on our study, more than half of the participants had an average level of knowledge regarding AED usage and a satisfying attitude toward the device. Therefore, we suggest ensuring the importance of AED training and practice for all medical students and healthcare providers.
Key words: AED, CPR, Medical Students, Healthcare Providers, Saudi Arabia
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