A Survey on the Knowledge and Attitude of Family Carers of Patients with Coronary Artery Diseases about Primary CPR in Outpatient Hospital

Background & objectives: Cardio-Pulmonary arrest may occur at any time and any place. Nearly 70% of cases with cardiac arrest occur at home or outside the hospital without access to experienced people for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). So if people and family members of patients with heart problems (bystanders) have the ability to perform primary CPR, they can save lifes in the golden hour. This study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of family carers of patients with coronary artery disease about CPR. Methods: This cross- sectional study was conducted on 110 family carers of patients with coronary artery disease at cardiac care units of Tabriz hospitals. The samples were selected by convenience sampling method and data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire of knowledge and attitude. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 21. Results: The knowledge of most participants was undesirable (56.3%). The highest and lowest levels of knowledge were related to "facing with disease" and "time of chest cardic massage", respectively. In terms of attitude, most participants (52.1%) had a negative attitude toward resuscitation, and most (79.1%) believed that the patient should survive as much as possible. Conclusion: According to inadequate knowledge and negative attitude of most participants, the community-based education courses with a simple language is recommendedto increase the awareness and develop a positive attitude toward CPR in families of patients with coronary artery disease .