Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and practice of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) among residents At Addis Ababa Burn, Emergency and Trauma (AaBET) hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2023.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Traumas, resulting from diverse causes such as road traffic accidents, falls, burns, poisoning, wars, and acts of violence, pose significant public health challenges. Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocol is a crucial training framework designed to equip caregivers with emergency knowledge for managing acute trauma victims. Objective: The study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of residents towards ATLS at Addis Ababa Burn, Emergency, and Trauma Center (AaBET hospital) between July 30, 2023, and November 30, 2023. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 103 residents from four departments at Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College trauma center, utilizing systematic sampling. Data collected through a structured questionnaire, were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Variables with P< 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Majority (62.14%) of the 103 participants were aged 26-30, with a mean age of 30.29 ± 2.34 SD; 76.7% were male. A significant portion (76.70%) had not undergone ATLS training. The study revealed that 84.47% possessed good to very good knowledge, 50.5% had a positive attitude, and 67.96% demonstrated adequate practice. Associations were found between knowledge and attitude (P = 0.005, OR: 3.548 [95%CI; 1.455-8.656]), knowledge and practice (P < 0.001, OR: 9.903 [95%CI; 3.833-25.586]), knowledge and residency program (P < 0.001, OR: 0.426 [95%CI; 0.282-0.644]), and knowledge and year of residency (P < 0.001, OR: 0.921 [95%CI; 0.885-0.960]). Conclusion: The research showed that residents at AaBET hospital offering trauma care have adequate knowledge and majority of residents had a favorable opinion of ATLS, despite the fact that most of them did not take any formal training and certification on ATLS. Keywords: knowledge, attitude, practice, residents