Serdar Kula, Gizem Karkin Tozlu, Meliz Yudaer
Gazi University School of Medicine and Gazi University Graduate School of Informatics.
Turkey
Türk Kardiyoloji Derneği Arşivi (Archives of the Turkish Society of Cardiology)
Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars 2026;
DOI: 10.5543/tkda.2026.13808
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to identify common misconceptions regarding pulmonary hypertension (PH) among pediatric cardiologists.
Method: Before an online educational session on common misconceptions in PH, a 10-question test was administered to pediatric cardiologists across Türkiye via the Jotform platform. The questionnaire was developed following a pilot study in which an initial 20-question survey was administered to five experienced pediatric cardiologists. Based on their feedback, the 10 questions that best captured clinically relevant misconceptions were retained for the final instrument. The questions were prepared by an expert pediatric cardiologist and reviewed by two additional specialists. The test comprised multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and true/false items covering the diagnostic criteria, treatment approaches, and pharmacological management of PH. Correct answer rates were calculated as percentages.
Results: Sixty-six pediatric cardiologists participated, with an overall correct response rate of 43.6%. The most common misconceptions involved bosentan storage after reconstitution and the use of a three-stratum risk assessment model in pediatric PH. Nearly half of the participants incorrectly identified first-line therapy in vasoreactivity-positive IPAH/HPAH patients.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that important concepts in pediatric PH management are not consistently understood among pediatric cardiologists. The identified knowledge gaps, particularly in pharmacology and risk assessment, highlight the need for targeted educational initiatives and regular updates on current guideline recommendations to promote more consistent clinical practice.
Category
Class I. Pulmonary hypertension Associated with a Favorable Response to Nitric Oxide and Calcium Channel Blockers
Other: Knowledge Gaps of Pediatric Cardiologists
Age Focus: Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Fresh or Filed Publication: Fresh (PHresh). Less than 1-2 years since publication
Article Access
Free PDF File or Full Text Article Available Through PubMed or DOI: No