Evaluation of Knowledge and Anxiety Levels in Caregivers of Children With Heart Disease Before and After Basic Life...

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.