Evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of emergency medicine physicians in managing priapism cases-a cross section study

Introduction Priapism is an emergency condition treated by emergency medicine (EM) physicians and urologists/andrologists. EM physicians are the first-line healthcare providers for this condition, and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding priapism remain unclear. Aim The aim of this study was to understand emergency physicians' perspectives regarding priapism to help re-structure EM programs. Methods This cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) surveyed emergency physicians from a university and other hospitals in the Ismailia governorate, Egypt. A validated questionnaire was sent via an online e-survey following the CHEERIES guidelines. Bivariate analysis of demographic characteristics and KAP was performed using by odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Spearman's rho was used to measure the correlation between knowledge, attitude, and practice. A P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Main Outcome Measure Emergency physicians completed an e-survey of their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding priapism. Results A total of 149 participants were surveyed. 140 (93%) of EM physicians believed priapism was a medical emergency. 139 (93%) respondents were aware of the long-term complications of priapism. Further, 136 (91.3%) respondents strongly supported the multidisciplinary approach. Of these, 79 (53%) gave intra-cavernous sympathomimetic therapy and 75 (50.3%) did aspiration with irrigation. EM physicians <30 years of age had significantly better knowledge about priapism (OR = 2.47 (1.23-4.96); P = 0.01). Similarly, young physicians had better attitudes (OR = 3.24 (1.31-8.02); P = 0.01) and female physicians demonstrated better practice (OR = 3.36 (1.65-6.82); P = 0.001) toward priapism. A significant positive correlation was observed between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.487), and knowledge and practice (r = 0.281) at P <0.001. Clinical Implications EM physicians agreed that EM-based therapy is appropriate for straightforward cases of acute ischemic priapism. Existing educational programs for EM physicians may not adequately equip them in handling priapism in practice. Strengths and Limitations This study is the first to investigate EM knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) for priapism handling. The study identified areas for improvement in this regard. However, the cross-sectional design, single governorate setting, and self-administered questionnaire limit its generalizability. Conclusion Despite the satisfactory knowledge and attitudes of EM physicians regarding priapism and infection control, this study identified potential areas for improvement in the use of guidelines on invasive treatment.