Why and how should high school students learn Basic Life Support?

Abstract

Introduction:
 Cardiovascular deaths (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in India. Basic Life Support (BLS) training of target groups can help in reducing mortality and morbidity in out of hospital cardiac arrests. High school students are uniquely positioned for this training through a structured learning program, but very is known about high school students’ awareness of BLS.
 Aim: This study aims to understand the awareness about BLS and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among high school students.
 Methods: A questionnaire-based survey about awareness and willingness to learn BLS and CPR was sent online to 120 students of an urban high school.
 Results: A total of 114 students with a mean age of 15.2 +1.8 years responded. 48 students were male (42%) and 66 students were female (58%). Only 38% participants had previously heard about BLS. A vast majority of students correctly answered the full form of BLS (88%), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) (94%), and CPR (99%). However, relatively few students (10%) had a BLS-certified family member and 64% of students chose the wrong option for national medical emergency helpline. Despite these numbers, this student population indicated willingness for training in BLS (79%) and willingness to perform CPR in future (78%). When asked who they would prefer to be trained in BLS by, 67.5% believed healthcare workers would be most appropriate.
 Conclusion: Although there is an overall lack of awareness of BLS amongst high schoolers, they show signs of willingness to learn BLS and apply their skills in potential lifesaving situations.