Abstract
Basic life support (BLS) is the medical procedures and skills which are used to save the victim from life-threatening emergencies until medical care is provided at the hospital. BLS procedures include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), bleeding control, artificial ventilation and basic airway management. Fatal medical emergencies may occur at any time. However, there are no set standards introduced in India to date. These life-saving maneuvers can be given through the structured resuscitation programs, which are lacking in the academic curriculum. The present study assessed the level of awareness toward basic life support (BLS) among medical and dental students. A cross-sectional study was carried out among dental and medical students in 2019. The study participants were people of the age group between 18-25 years. A convenient sample size of 250 was studied. A total of 250 subjects of age groups 18-25 years were analyzed in the study. The majority of students were not aware of BLS, with medical students fairing slightly better than dental students. The present study demonstrates poor knowledge among medical and dental students regarding BLS and showed the urgent need for continuous refreshing courses for this critical topic. Keywords: Knowledge; basic life support; medical students; dental students
Highlights
Life-threatening emergencies can occur anytime and anywhere
In recent years several publications have highlighted the deficiencies in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality, both out-of-hospital and inhospital, which have partly been addressed in the newest basic life support (BLS) guidelines. [7,8] Individuals in the community at least the health professionals should know how to perform BLS as they encounter such situations very often
This study was aimed to explore the level of knowledge towards BLS among medical, dental students in BMCH, Chitradurga
Summary
Life-threatening emergencies can occur anytime and anywhere. The lack of coaching and incompetence to handle these emergencies can have tragic consequences. Sudden cardiac arrest is the most common cause of death worldwide with a large variation in survival rates between different communities. [3,4] Early detection of cardiac arrest and initiation of CPR has been shown to decrease mortality and morbidity. In recent years several publications have highlighted the deficiencies in CPR quality, both out-of-hospital and inhospital, which have partly been addressed in the newest BLS guidelines. [7,8] Individuals in the community at least the health professionals should know how to perform BLS as they encounter such situations very often. This study was aimed to explore the level of knowledge towards BLS among medical, dental students in BMCH, Chitradurga
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
