Abstract
Background: Both in the United States and Europe, coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death and sudden cardiac arrest. When performed proficiently, basic life support (BLS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation greatly improve a patient’s chances of survival by limiting tissue damage. This research assessed the BLS-related attitudes and knowledge of fourth-year medical students who had previously completed their undergraduate degrees.
Methods: Data were collected in a retrospective cross-sectional study by researchers at the College of Medicine at Qassim University between May and August 2022. Two hundred twenty-five medical students were surveyed to assess their level of understanding and comfort when providing basic BLS using a 20-item survey. SPSS was used to analyze the data.
Results: The results indicated a significant mean difference across four academic groups (p < 0.001) regarding knowledge and attitude toward BLS. However, the mean difference based on gender in knowledge and attitude of BLS was insignificant. Further, to amount the correct responses of attitude and knowledge toward BLS, the results revealed that less than 40% of the students gave correct responses to 12 out of 20 questions related to BLS knowledge and attitude. Less than 50% of students correctly answered 3 out of 8 remaining questions, and less than 60% of students correctly responded to 4 out of 5 remaining questions.
Conclusion: The study’s findings, which suggest that better BLS training can lower the risk of heart disease, have prompted medical school graduates to call for action.

Key words: Coronary artery disease, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, basic life support, cardiac arrest.