EVALUATING THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS AND INTERNS IN SAUDI ARABIA.
Abstract
Background: This article discuses diverse aspects of post-operative pain which is unpleasant emotional and sensory experience brought on by prospective or existing tissue damage and adversely impact the healing process of an individual. It covers topics like overview of pain, major cusses of pain and post-operative pain management. This study aims to evaluate level of knowledge and the attuited toward pain management among medical interns and medical students in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in KSA from July 2024 to December 2024. This study plans to recruit participant through Saudi universities and Hospitals. The inclusion criteria are male and female medical interns and students from all provinces in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who consented to participate in the study and filled out the questionnaire were included in this criterion. The general public who is not a medical intern or student, who is not a member of the Saudi Arabian medical field, and who declined to engage in this study were the exclusion criteria. A formula based on prevalence estimation, a 95% confidence level, and a 5% acceptable error was used to determine the minimum target sample size, which is 384. Results: The study included a total of 394 participants. We found that only 11.9% of participants demonstrated a high level of knowledge about effective pain management strategies, with a moderate knowledge level of 53.6%. Additionally, only 14.7% exhibited positive attitudes towards pain management, while 37.6% reported low attitudes. Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the urgent need for enhanced educational initiatives focused on postoperative pain management within medical training programs in Saudi Arabia.