Assessment of Health Science Students’ Knowledge of Ocular Chemical Injuries and Proper Immediate Action: A Cross-Sectional Study at King Khalid University

Abstract

Introduction Chemical injuries are considered to be one of the true ocular emergencies that require years of visual rehabilitation in addition to immediate medical intervention to maintain eyesight. Thus, it is imperative that medical professionals and the general public are both aware of the damage and how to treat it. Objective The current study's objectives were to determine what influences students' understanding of ocular first aid in trauma scenarios and to evaluate the degree of knowledge among health university students at King Khalid University. Methodology Between April 25, 2024, and June 25, 2024, King Khalid University of Saudi Arabia hosted a descriptive cross-sectional study aimed at medical students. Following a thorough examination of the literature and consultation with an expert, the study researchers created an online questionnaire to gather the data. Students' academic and demographic information, their source of information, and their understanding of ocular chemical damage were all included in the final questionnaire. Using social media sites, the completed questionnaire was posted online until no further responses could be found. Results A total of 358 health science students completed the study survey; their ages ranged from 18 to 30 years, with a mean age of 23.5±2.4 years. A total of 55 (15.4%) students were in their pre-clinical years, 199 (55.6%) were in their clinical years, and 104 (29.1%) were medical interns. A total of 152 (42.5%) students had an overall good knowledge of ocular chemical injuries, while most of them (57.5%; 206) had an overall poor knowledge level. As for students' sources of information, the most reported were their study curricula (46.9%), internet (22.4%), doctors (11.8%), family (9.8%), and friends (8.7%), while 1.2% had no specific source. Males and being in the clinical years were significantly associated with high knowledge (p<0.05). Conclusion According to the study, male students in clinical study years had the greatest level of understanding regarding eye chemical injury and related first aid, while health science students had the least amount of information overall.