Background: Cardiovascular diseases, particularly myocardial infarction (MI), remain the primary cause of death worldwide, with a growing burden in low- and middle-income countries such as Pakistan. Early recognition and prompt first-aid treatment is crucial for a good prognosis. This study assessed the medical and dental students’ knowledge of MI symptoms and its related first-aid techniques. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire designed to assess 259 MBBS and BDS students’ knowledge of MI symptoms, related first-aid practices, their familiarity with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and confidence in administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The data were analyzed in order to assess the difference of knowledge across different demographic variables, such as age, gender, academic year, course of study, and prior first-aid training. Results: Overall, 57.1% of participants had good knowledge of MI symptoms, and 51% showed good knowledge of first-aid with female students outperforming their male counterparts in symptom recognition (71.2% vs. 52.3%, P = 0.007). Moreover, clinical-year students and those with first-aid training had significantly better first-aid knowledge ( P < 0.05). Trained individuals also exhibited greater confidence in performing CPR ( P < 0.001), managing airways ( P = 0.011), and using an AED ( P = 0.029). Conclusion: The study findings emphasize the necessity of structured first-aid training, especially for the students in their pre-clinical years, in order to empower them with the skills they need to handle cardiovascular emergencies.
Afridi et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
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