Evaluation of Knowledge and Anxiety Levels in Caregivers of Children With Heart Disease Before and After Basic Life Support Training: A Preliminary Study.
Cureus · 2026-07-01 · Observational study
Abstract
Introduction Cardiomyopathies (CMs), as well as primary electrical disorders, i.e., inherited arrhythmia syndromes (IAS), including long-QT syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, and Brugada syndrome, predispose children to malignant ventricular arrhythmias and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; survival depends on rapid Basic Life Support (BLS) and early automated external defibrillator (AED) use. We evaluated whether a brief, caregiver-focused, arrhythmia-tailored BLS workshop improves knowledge and affects short-term state anxiety. Materials and methods The study included 12 caregivers of children with cardiac conditions who participated in BLS training. The study was conducted in three stages: a pre-test (entry survey), intervention (lecture and practical training), and post-test (exit survey). Knowledge was assessed using custom questions based on the ERC 2025 guidelines, and anxiety levels were measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results The mean knowledge score increased from 5.3 ± 1.0 before training to 7.8 ± 1.0 after training (T = 0.0; p = 0.002). The most significant improvement was observed in practical aspects of resuscitation, such as the compression-to-breath ratio during pediatric CPR. Anxiety levels, measured using STAI-X1, decreased after the training, and the difference was statistically significant (T = 5.5; p = 0.009). Conclusions BLS training effectively improves the knowledge of caregivers of children with IAS, which may enhance their competence in emergency situations involving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Further research in a larger group is needed to determine the impact of regular and repeated BLS training on long-term knowledge retention, as well as on anxiety levels and quality of life among families of children with CM or IAS.