Knowledge and Attitudes of Venous Thromboembolism for Surgeons in Two Saudi Arabian Medical Centers

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the most prevalent medical issues. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is its most common complication. Objective: The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of surgeons regarding VTE risk factors and prophylaxis. Method: This was a cross-sectional research, in which the survey was distributed randomly among all surgeons in the surgical departments at two medical institutions in Saudi Arabia between the period of October 2018 and April 2019. Results: 172 surgeons participated in this research with a response rate of 86% (172/200). 90.7% of the respondent surgeons were male. The mean score of knowledge was revealed to be 8.68±1.47 out of 10 (86.8%) and that of attitude was 12.64±1.53 out of 15 (84.27%). Discussion: Both knowledge and attitude score percentages were revealed to be higher than 75% which was the minimally acceptable level. Accordingly, surgeons in both medical centers achieved an acceptable level of knowledge and a good attitude. Conclusion: In conclusion, the surgeons' VTE knowledge and attitude were acceptable in both medical institutions, where residents score the least scores, demonstrating the necessity for education and awareness programs regarding VTE risk factors and prophylaxis.