Abstract
BackgroundEarly recognition and immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation are critical determinants of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Our aim was to evaluate current knowledge on basic life support (BLS) in Danish high school students and benefits of a single training session run by junior doctors.MethodsSix-hundred-fifty-one students were included. They underwent one 45-minute BLS training session including theoretical aspects and hands-on training with mannequins. The students completed a baseline questionnaire before the training session and a follow-up questionnaire one week later. The questionnaire consisted of an eight item multiple-choice test on BLS knowledge, a four-level evaluation of self-assessed BLS skills and evaluation of fear based on a qualitative description and visual analog scale from 0 to 10 for being first responder.ResultsSixty-three percent of the students (413/651) had participated in prior BLS training. Only 28% (179/651) knew how to correctly recognize normal breathing. The majority was afraid of exacerbating the condition or causing death by intervening as first responder. The response rate at follow-up was 61% (399/651). There was a significant improvement in correct answers on the multiple-choice test (p < .001). The proportion of students feeling well prepared to perform BLS increased from 30% to 90% (p < .001), and the level of fear of being first responder was decreased 6.8 ± 2.2 to 5.5 ± 2.4 (p < .001).ConclusionKnowledge of key areas of BLS is poor among high school students. One hands-on training session run by junior doctors seems to be efficient to empower the students to be first responders to OHCA.
Highlights
Recognition, performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the immediate activation of emergency medical services (EMS) are critical determinants of survival after out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OCHA) [1].Recent data from the Danish of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registry shows an improvement in bystander CPR increasing from 21% of cases in 2001 to 45% in 2010, with a concomitantOver the past years several methods to teach school children have been developed and tested, showing that basic life support (BLS) training is effective in children from age of 4 years
The aim of the study was to evaluate Danish high school students’ current BLS knowledge, and the effect of a single 45-minute BLS hands-on training session run by junior doctors on theoretical knowledge, self-assessed skills and self-perceived fears related to performing BLS
There were no significant differences at baseline between responders and non-responders at follow-up regarding age, sex, prior BLS training, knowledge concerning BLS training, the changes in self-assessed BLS-skills and level of self-perceived fear of being first responder to a cardiac arrest situation
Summary
Performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the immediate activation of emergency medical services (EMS) are critical determinants of survival after out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OCHA) [1].Recent data from the Danish OHCA registry shows an improvement in bystander CPR increasing from 21% of cases in 2001 to 45% in 2010, with a concomitantOver the past years several methods to teach school children have been developed and tested, showing that BLS training is effective in children from age of 4 years. Performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the immediate activation of emergency medical services (EMS) are critical determinants of survival after out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OCHA) [1]. Previous studies have shown that training should start at an early age, be repeated at regular intervals and be hands-on oriented because children only receiving theoretical training perform poorly [8]. In spite of this current knowledge, there is no consensus as to which method or material should be used to train students in BLS [6,9]. Recognition and immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation are critical determinants of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Our aim was to evaluate current knowledge on basic life support (BLS) in Danish high school students and benefits of a single training session run by junior doctors
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