Evaluation of Pediatric Cardiologists’ Knowledge Levels Regarding Pulmonary Hypertension: Commonly Misunderstood Concepts-Uncorrected Proof

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.

Keywords: Acute vasoreactivity testing, clinical misconceptions, pediatric cardiology, pediatric pulmonary hypertension.