Authors: Abdwahid Abdullah , Huda Ahmed Yuosuf , Rasha shams alfalah

Abstract

Background: Burn injuries remain a significant global public health concern, and prompt, appropriate first aid is essential for reducing burn severity and improving outcomes. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a critical role in providing early burn care and educating the public; however, their knowledge and practices regarding burns first aid may be suboptimal. This systematic review aimed to synthesize available evidence on HCWs’ knowledge and practices related to burns first aid, assess participation in burn first-aid training, and identify factors associated with knowledge levels.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional studies.

Results: Six cross-sectional studies involving 3,123 healthcare workers from Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, India, and Jordan were included. Overall, HCWs demonstrated inadequate to moderate knowledge of burns first aid, with consistent gaps in burn size estimation, fluid resuscitation, and recognition of burn-related complications. Participation in formal burn first-aid training was limited, ranging, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted from inception to December 2025 in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Observational studies assessing burns first-aid knowledge or practices among HCWs were included. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers, and methodological quality was evaluated using the adapted from 10.1% to 32%. Studies consistently reported higher knowledge levels among trained participants, while gender and professional specialty were identified as significant predictors in one study. The methodological quality of the included studies ranged from moderate to high.

Conclusion: Healthcare workers across diverse settings exhibit important deficiencies in burns first-aid knowledge, underscoring the need for standardized and targeted educational interventions.

Keywords: Burns first aid, healthcare workers, knowledge, systematic review.