Abstract
Introduction: The chance of survival of a victim after cardiac arrest/foreign-body airway obstruction is doubled by early institution of Basic Life Support (BLS). Besides medical doctors, dental doctors might also encounter the patients in emergency situation requiring BLS, especially during peripheral district teaching hospital posting in internship.
 Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge about BLS among final year dental students of BPKIHS.
 Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, structured questionnaires were distributed to BDS final year students (purposive sampling, sample size=53). Each question responded correctly was awarded as point +1 and total points were calculated by adding all the correct answers. The collected data were entered in Microsoft excel 2010 and descriptive analysis was done by SPSS 16.
 Results: Out of 53 questionnaires distributed, 49 were responded and returned (response rate= 92.45%). Twenty participants were male and twenty-nine were female. Four participants had taken BLS training in the past. Only twenty participants scored ≥ 50% and none of the participant scored ≥75%. Only one question was responded correctly by 100% participants. Ten questions were responded correctly by ≥50% participants. Although 65.3% participants were aware about high quality CPR, only 49% knew the exact location of chest compression. The chest compression to ventilation ratio for each of single rescuer and two rescuers was known by 20 participants (40.8%) and 28 participants (57.1%) respectively.
 Conclusion: Knowledge of BLS is poor among BDS final year students.
Highlights
Basic Life Support (BLS) includes iden fica on of signs of sudden cardiac arrest, heart a ack and stroke; early ins tu on of cardiopulmonary resuscita on (CPR) and rapid defibrilla on with an automated external defibrilator.[1]
Knowledge of BLS is poor among BDS final year students
Immediate recogni on and ac va on, early CPR, and rapid defibrilla on are the first three BLS links in the adult Chain of Survival but iden fica on of cardiac arrest is not straight forward and any confusion from rescuer part can result in delay in ins tu on of CPR and the precious me is lost that might decrease the chances of survival.[4]
Summary
Basic Life Support (BLS) includes iden fica on of signs of sudden cardiac arrest, heart a ack and stroke; early ins tu on of cardiopulmonary resuscita on (CPR) and rapid defibrilla on with an automated external defibrilator.[1]. P. Koirala Ins tute of Health Science (BPKIHS) immediately a er passing the final year exam are posted in various district/zonal hospital during their internship and they may encounter a situa on where they have to perform this life saving procedures and they cannot escape just because they are dental doctors. The ra onale of this study was to assess the level of knowledge about BLS among dental (BDS) final year students of BPKIHS to gather informa on for the effec ve organiza on of training of BLS before entering internship
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