Objective This study aimed to assess the knowledge level of acute skin failure (ASF) among critical care medical staff and to identify the factors influencing this knowledge. Methods A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in the intensive care units of four tertiary hospitals in Xiamen, China. A total of 481 physicians and nurses completed a validated, self-designed questionnaire assessing knowledge across eight domains of ASF. Results The survey revealed a significant knowledge gap, with 60.5% (291/481) of participants demonstrating insufficient knowledge of ASF. Furthermore, 56.1% of respondents could not accurately differentiate ASF from pressure injuries. Multivariate logistic regression identified job category and years of experience as independent predictors of knowledge level. Physicians were significantly less knowledgeable than nurses ( OR = 2.888, p = 0.017). Contrary to expectations, staff with more than 10 years of experience were less knowledgeable than their junior counterparts. Conclusion Variations in familiarity with ASF concepts exist among critical care staff, reflecting differences in professional training frameworks, clinical responsibilities, and exposure patterns. The observed differences between physicians and nurses likely represent systematic variations in clinical focus and role-specific knowledge acquisition rather than absolute knowledge deficits. These findings highlight the need for interprofessional educational strategies that respect professional boundaries while fostering collaborative recognition of ASF as a shared clinical concern.
Huang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.