Awareness of Retinal Detachment Symptoms Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Retinal detachment (RD) is a vision-threatening ocular emergency requiring prompt recognition and intervention to prevent permanent visual impairment. Despite its clinical significance, awareness of RD symptoms among medical students in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Qassim region, remains unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and confidence of medical students in recognizing RD symptoms and identifying educational gaps that could impact early diagnosis and management. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2023 to July 2024 among 270 medical students from three medical colleges in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire covering demographics, academic level, ophthalmology course completion, and RD knowledge. Statistical analysis, including chi-square tests, was performed using SPSS Version 26, with a p-value of <0.05 considered significant. Results Among the participants, 70% were female and 87% were aged 20-25 years. Although 73% had completed an ophthalmology course, only 7.8% had encountered RD cases. The most recognized symptom was flashing lights (25.1%), followed by floaters (22.2%). Misconceptions were prevalent, with 21.1% believing that RD was always associated with pain and 6.7% perceiving it as self-limiting. Confidence in identifying RD symptoms was low, with only 4.4% of the students feeling very confident. Significant associations were found between academic level and knowledge of RD symptoms (p=0.01) and perceptions of its self-limiting nature (p=0.02). Conclusion This study highlights substantial gaps in medical students' awareness and confidence in identifying RD symptoms and emphasizes the need for targeted educational interventions. Enhancing ophthalmological training in medical curricula could improve early detection and management, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcome.