Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Awareness, Practice and Attitude Among Athletes in the Eastern Province

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) among athletes has increased recently. The American Heart Association (AHA) emphasizes early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using an automated external defibrillator (AED). The study aimed to assess the current knowledge, skills, and attitude toward CPR and the use of AED among athletes in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey study was conducted between May and September 2021 in the Eastern Province. The questionnaire was developed following the AHA (2020) guidelines and the Arabic and English version were validated. The study recruited Sports facilities staff and adults who regularly practiced sports as competitive or non-competitive athletes. Results: The study recruited 421 participants. The majority were males (75%) and Saudis (97%), living in the Qatif region and practicing the sport for over 20 years. The Heartsaver trained group constituted 181 (43%). The majority of the trained group (92%) knew the Red Crescent emergency call number compared to 75% of the nontrained participants (P < 0.001). Only 30% of the trained group claimed they were competent in performing all skills and using the AED, but unable to operate it in actual events. The majority of the sample does not know if the AED is available in their sports facilities (70%), while 27% of the participants confirmed that the AED is unavailable. Conclusion: The study found limited knowledge and skill about the AED's use among athletes. Sports centres are inadequately equipped with AEDs, which is a potential concern. There is a great need to enhance the training quality with follow-up sessions to ensure the effective utilization of these skills in community settings.