Table 3 A comparison of the knowledge and attitude toward brain death between the pre-clinical and clinical students using the chi-square test
Pre-clinical students | Clinical students | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
(n = 704) | (n = 347) | ||
Brain-dead patients have no brainstem reflex | |||
Agree (n = 610) | 350 (49.7%) | 260 (74.9%) | < 0.001 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 441) | 354 (50.3%) | 87 (25.1%) | |
Brain-dead patients do not breathe spontaneously | |||
Agree (n = 611) | 351 (49.9%) | 260 (74.9%) | < 0.001 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 440) | 353 (50.1%) | 87 (25.1%) | |
Brain-dead patients have no awareness of their surroundings | |||
Agree (n = 712) | 434 (61.6%) | 278 (80.1%) | < 0.001 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 339) | 270 (38.4%) | 69 (19.9%) | |
Brain-dead patients can feel pain | |||
Disagree (n = 631) | 380 (54%) | 251 (72.3%) | < 0.001 |
Agree/Unsure (n = 420) | 324 (46%) | 96 (27.7%) | |
Brain-dead patients may wake up | |||
Disagree (n = 595) | 346 (49.1%) | 249 (71.8%) | < 0.001 |
Agree/Unsure (n = 456) | 358 (50.9%) | 98 (28.2%) | |
Stop the treatment for a brain-dead family member | |||
Agree (n = 589) | 346 (49.1%) | 243 (70.0%) | < 0.001 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 462) | 358 (50.9%) | 104 (30.0%) | |
Organs and/or tissues of brain-dead patients can be transplanted to the recipient | |||
Agree (n = 698) | 436 (61.9%) | 262 (75.5%) | < 0.001 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 353) | 268 (38.1%) | 85 (24.5%) | |
Donate my organs and/or tissues after brain death. | |||
Agree (n = 778) | 510 (72.4%) | 268 (77.2%) | 0.096 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 273) | 194 (27.6%) | 79 (22.8%) | |
Donate the organs and/or tissues of a brain-dead family member. | |||
Agree (n = 489) | 320 (45.5%) | 169 (48.7%) | 0.321 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 562) | 384 (54.5%) | 178 (51.3%) | |
Accept organs and/or tissues donated by brain-dead patients | |||
Agree (n = 775) | 513 (72.9%) | 262 (75.5%) | 0.361 |
Disagree/Unsure (n = 276) | 191 (21.1%) | 85 (24.5%) | |
Be misdiagnosed as brain dead and lose the chance of treatment | |||
Yes (n = 396) | 226 (32.1%) | 170 (49.0%) | < 0.001 |
No/Unsure(n = 655) | 478 (67.9%) | 177 (51.0%) | |
Be misdiagnosed as brain dead and organs and/or tissues might be harvested while alive | |||
Yes (n = 425) | 260 (36.9%) | 165 (47.6%) | 0.001 |
No/Unsure (n = 626) | 444 (63.1%) | 182 (52.4%) | |
Premature termination of treatment | |||
Yes (n = 560) | 344 (48.9%) | 216 (62.2%) | < 0.001 |
No/Unsure (n = 491) | 360 (51.1%) | 131 (37.8%) | |
Participate in the training on the knowledge about brain death | |||
Yes (n = 848) | 578 (82.1%) | 270 (77.8%) | 0.097 |
No/Unsure (n = 203) | 126 (17.9%) | 77 (22.2%) | |
Added the knowledge about brain death to the curriculum of medical education | |||
Yes (n = 888) | 592 (84.1%) | 296 (85.3%) | 0.610 |
No/Unsure (n = 163) | 112 (15.9%) | 51 (14.7%) | |
Disseminate the knowledge to family members or friends | |||
Yes (n = 890) | 587 (83.4%) | 303 (87.3%) | 0.095 |
No/Unsure (n = 161) | 117 (16.6%) | 44 (12.7%) | |
Disseminate the knowledge to the public | |||
Yes (n = 885) | 689 (83.7%) | 296 (85.3%) | 0.494 |
No/Unsure (n = 166) | 115 (16.3%) | 51 (14.7%) |