Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes Toward Heart Attack and Anaphylaxis Among Healthcare Students and Clinicians: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Basic Life Support (BLS) knowledge and readiness to act are essential first-line competencies for healthcare professionals. BLS training is frequently integrated into medical and dental curricula to enhance preparedness for emergencies. This study aimed to evaluate knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward heart attack (HA) and anaphylactic shock (AS) among different professional groups.

This cross-sectional study involved 1,083 participants who completed an online, validated questionnaire comprising 39 items on HA and AS across three domains: knowledge, perception, and attitude. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Rasch modeling, bootstrap mediation analysis, and linear regression.

The majority of participants were female (77.1%), with dental students representing the largest subgroup (69.9%). Significant differences were observed among groups in past learning experiences related to HA (p=0.019) and AS (p<0.001), as well as in the corresponding modes of learning (both p<0.05). Medical students demonstrated the highest scores in knowledge (25.47±1.02) and perception (55.36±5.40), whereas dental students had the lowest scores across all domains.

Perception significantly mediated the relationship between knowledge and attitude (p < 0.001). Participants with a family history of HA or AS showed higher knowledge scores (p<0.05), and gender significantly influenced attitude (p=0.004).

Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes regarding heart attack and anaphylactic shock may differ across dental and medical students and professional groups, with dental students showing the lowest scores and medical students the highest. This finding highlighted the need for targeted, interdisciplinary, simulation-based BLS training, especially for dental students.