Pengfei Wang,1,* Zhuangtian Wu,2,* Junpeng Tang,1 Weipeng Liu,1 Jie Zhu1 

1Department of Emergency, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510120, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Emergency, Shenshan Medical Center of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shanwei, Guangdong Province, 516400, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Jie Zhu, Department of Emergency, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510120, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613560339632, Email zj2008zly@163.com

Background: Post-cardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS) occurs after cardiac arrest resuscitation, causing cardiac and neurological sequelae if not well treated. In China, physicians are vital in PCAS management from early diagnosis, therapeutic treatment to individualized care. Physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards the condition significantly affect such process, which remain understudied in China.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate physicians’ KAP regarding PCAS.
Methods: This dual-center cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2024 at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, affiliated to Sun Yat-Sen University and Shenshan Medical Center, affiliated to Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. Self-developed questionnaires were used to gather demographic and KAP data, yielding 633 responses.
Results: A total of 551 valid questionnaires were included, with 51.2% of respondents being male. The mean scores for KAP were 8.12± 1.66 (range: 0– 12), 47.96± 5.13 (range: 12– 60), and 49.00± 5.26 (range: 11– 55), respectively. Spearman correlation analysis revealed positive correlations between knowledge and attitudes (r=0.248, P< 0.001), knowledge and practices (r=0.243, P< 0.001), and attitudes and practices (r=0.369, P< 0.001). The structural equation modeling (SEM) results confirmed direct associations between knowledge and attitudes (β=0.500, 95% CI: 0.401– 0.598, P< 0.001), knowledge and practices (β=0.345, 95% CI: 0.263– 0.428, P< 0.001), and attitudes and practices (β=0.691, 95% CI: 0.608– 0.773, P< 0.001).
Conclusion: Physicians exhibited limited knowledge, negative attitudes, and proactive practices regarding PCAS. Future educational and behavioral interventions are necessary to enhance physicians’ KAP towards PCAS.

Keywords: post-cardiac arrest syndrome, knowledge, attitude, practice, cross-sectional study