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INTRODUCTION: Interventional radiology (IR) is a medical specialty that employs imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans, and MRI to guide minimally invasive procedures for diagnosing and treating a variety of medical disorders. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the level of IR awareness among medical students at Majmaah University. METHODS: The cross-sectional investigation was carried out among the medical students at Majmaah University in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire that had been pretested was used to gather the data. SPSS Statistics (IBM Corp. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp) was used to analyze the data. The chi-square test was used to compare qualitative data, and a p-value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were 202 students who participated in this study, and among them, the majority were males, 126 (62.4%), and the majority of them were pre-clinical students, 105 (52.0%). Knowledge of routinely performed procedures by IR (only by a radiologist) was assessed; 116 (57.4%) of them responded with paracontinuous transluminal coronary angioplasty, 105 (52.0%) with central venous access, and 100 (49.5%) with lower arterial limp percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, which are routinely performed procedures by the radiologists. There was no significant difference in knowledge levels between genders. CONCLUSION: Increasing awareness of IR among medical students is essential to improving patient outcomes and addressing healthcare challenges. Efforts to educate and expand access to IR services must be prioritized to ensure that medical students receive a comprehensive education and that patients receive the highest quality care possible.
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BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest is a critical medical emergency that can strike individuals of any age or background, often occurring suddenly and unpredictably. The administration of Basic Life Support (BLS) techniques by laypersons in the first few crucial minutes following a cardiac arrest can substantially increase the chances of survival and minimize potential neurological damage. Despite the vital role of BLS in saving lives, there remains a gap in public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes regarding BLS among the general population in many regions worldwide, including Saudi Arabia. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of community-based interventions to enhance cardiac arrest survival rates. Public involvement in the early stages of cardiac arrest management is a key component of the chain of survival, and improving BLS awareness and knowledge among the general population is central to this effort. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes with regard to BLS among the general population in the Al-Majma'ah region, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study adopted among the population living in the Al-Majma'ah region of Saudi Arabia. The data was collected by a pre-tested and self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). The questions included information on social demographic information, awareness and knowledge, and attitudes related to BLS. RESULTS: More than half the participants (n=352; 52.5%) understand that during cardiac arrest, the heart is still beating and pumping blood, but the person is not breathing normally. This is an important understanding for providing proper care during a cardiac arrest situation. On the other hand, the study found that 384 (57.2%) had various reasons for their lack of knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The biggest reason was lack of interest (n=98; 14.6%). This highlights a need for increased awareness and education about the importance of CPR. The findings from the Pearson correlation conducted in this study show that age has a significant influence on the level of awareness and knowledge of cardiac arrest BLS. The p-value obtained for the test was 0.014, indicating that there is a significant relationship between age and awareness and knowledge of BLS. Similarly, the study findings also show that gender has a significant influence on the attitude of cardiac arrest BLS. CONCLUSION: The participants had a decent understanding of BLS, particularly regarding concepts like cardiac arrest and the role of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). However, they showed confusion or gaps in awareness, especially concerning the correct initial steps when encountering a collapsed person. Many participants felt uncomfortable performing Hands-Only CPR in a real-life situation due to a lack of knowledge and skills, which acted as a significant barrier to public CPR performance.