The knowledge about CPR in the students of nursing

Abstract

Background: First aid is a set of actions taken in order to save a person in a state of sudden health threat which is performed by a person at the scene. Sudden breathing and/or circulation malfunction, which can arise anytime and anywhere, is the cause of the untimely death of many people. As CPR must be started immediately in such cases, therefore, it is so essential to train the population in recognizing the state and undertaking the action. A casual witness who starts the CPR procedure, immediately after the diagnosis of the sudden cardiac infarct, helps to increase the chance for survival up to 50 per cent. Aim of the study: The aim of this work was to verify the state of knowledge of nursing students in the field of diagnosis of the sudden cardiac infarct, the application of CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Material and methods: The study group consisted of 100 nursing students in their second and third year of Public Higher Medical Professional School in Opole. The participation in the survey was completely anonymous and voluntary. Selfprepared questionnaire comprising 17 questions was used. Results: The method of diagnosis of the cardiac infarct, as indicated by 47% (47) of the respondents, is no pulse at the carotid artery. 42% (42) reported that it is the lack of consciousness and breath. The AED in 70% (70) of the respondents would be used in the unconscious victims with abnormal breathing, while 63% (63) of the respondents know that during analysis by the AED the victim should not be touched. Conclusions: The knowledge of nurses-to-be in recognizing the symptoms of the sudden cardiac infarct is low and not satisfactory. The results for cardiopulmonary resuscitation are also disappointing, so is the knowledge about an automatic external defibrillator.