Basic Life Support Skills Research Articles

Basic Life Support Training: The Effectiveness and Retention of The Distance-Learning Method

Introduction: Basic Life Support (BLS) training during the COVID-19 pandemic needed to be effective as well as prevent disease transmission between trainers and participants. The distance-learning method is one of the recommended modified training methods. However, there is still limited research that evaluates the effectiveness of the distance-learning method for BLS training for laypersons during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and retention of the distance-learning method for BLS training in improving the participant’s knowledge and skills. Materials and Methods: This is a non-randomized quasi-experimental study (one group pre-test and post-test design). A total of 64 TAGANA (Taruna Siaga Bencana/disaster volunteer) members of Sleman Regency who had undergone the distance learning method for BLS training were the participants of this study. A knowledge questionnaire and observation checklist were prepared and tested for context validity by an expert group. Data on the participant’s knowledge were collected before and after the training session, and data on the participant’s skills were recorded after the training session. After the training, a social media group was created to provide a periodical refresher of the BLS materials and facilitate discussions between the speakers and the study’s samples. Data on knowledge retention and skills were recorded six months post-training. Results: The distance-learning method for BLS training effectively increased the participants' knowledge of BLS, indicated by a significantly higher final knowledge score than before the training (Z=-6.904, p <0.001). The method also provided sufficient BLS skills, indicated by most of the samples (93.7%) passing the skill observation test even though no participant had attended a similar training before. Moreover, the participant’s knowledge and skills scores were significantly lower six months after the training session than immediately after training (Z=-5.157, p <0.001; Z=-4.219, p <0.001). Conclusion: The distance-learning method for BLS training effectively increased the participant’s BLS knowledge and skills. However, their knowledge and skills decreased at six months post-training. Overall, the distance-learning method has been proven as a promising alternative to BLS training during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Common hierarchies, varied rules - the problem of governing community first responders in prehospital care for quality standards: documentary discourse analysis

A key focus is placed on engaging communities to become involved in making decisions to support health and care services in healthcare policies in England, UK. An example is the deployment of volunteers such as community first responders (CFRs), who are members of the public with basic life support skills, trained to intervene in emergency situations prior to the arrival of ambulance services. CFR policies have been devised by National Health Service (NHS) Trusts as a way of governing these and related activities. This paper critically examines the discourse around CFR policies to understand how CFR roles are organised and monitoring governance mechanisms are delineated in ensuring quality care delivery. We collected ten CFR policies from six ambulance services. Inductive analysis, guided by Foucault’s theory, enabled the identification of themes and subthemes. We found that Trusts have a common goal to make care quality assurances to regulatory bodies on CFR roles, and this is depicted in common hierarchies of individual responsibilities across Trusts. However, policies that govern approaches to CFRs activity vary. Firstly, the paper highlights institutional approaches to ensuring public safety through the application of organised surveillance systems to monitor CFR activities, and draws parallels between such surveillance and Foucault’s docile bodies. Secondly, the paper discusses how varying rules in the surveillance system compromises safety by decentralising knowledge to regulatory bodies to whom NHS Trusts must make safety assurances. We suggest that stronger interrelationships between Trusts in considering the CFR role has potential to increase public safety and outline a clearer direction for CFRs.

Knowledge and Competency of First Aids and Basic Life Support (BLS) Skills in Speech and Hearing Students

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to analyze speech and hearing students' knowledge, awareness, and attitude regarding first aid and basic life support (BLS). Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey study was performed through a web-based questionnaire regarding knowledge of first aid and BLS skills, experience, and views about training on these skills among speech and hearing students. Results Four-hundred forty-two students from 26 different speech and hearing colleges participated in the study. About 88.23% of participants reported the necessity of knowledge about BLS skills and first aids. Fifty-five percent of participants encountered at least one emergency during their training. There is significant difference between awareness and confidence in performing these skills (Mann–Whitney U test= 76.5; /z/= −2.39; p = 0.019; effect size = 0.27). Most of the students (92.5%) reported not being trained to perform first aid and BLS skills and seek inclusion of these skills in their academic curriculum. Conclusions Overall confidence in first aid skills is less in the students of speech and hearing when compared with the awareness level. Hence, formal training of first aid and BLS should be introduced into the curriculum to provide students with sound knowledge and practical skills and help them boost their confidence.

The degree of readiness of students and their parents for the early implementation of basic life support training

Introduction: Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the most common causes of death in the world. Today, cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the prehospital phase, although crucial in the emergency care system, remains a weak link in the survival chain. Training in basic life support should begin in the school years in order to reach a larger population over time. The aim of the study was to assess the degree of readiness of students and their parents for the early implementation of training in basic life support. Materials and Methods: we surveyed 236 people, of which 118 students (group 1) of the primary school in Sumy and 118 - their parents (group 2). The survey was conducted anonymously. The questionnaire included 24 statements that determined the personal attitude to the need for early implementation of basic life support skills in primary school students, which later allowed us to determine the degree of readiness of students and their parents to solve this urgent problem for the world community. Correlation analysis was performed for groups 1 and 2 for more significant indicators. Results: the results of the study indicate that the level of readiness of students and parents contributes to the possibility of early implementation of resuscitation training in schools, which can help increase the number of people in communities who have basic life skills and will be ready to use them if needed. Conclusions: Thus, our research indicates that students and their parents are positive about learning basic life support in primary school and tend to think that mastering BLS skills will significantly increase students’ self-confidence when they witness an emergency. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 22 No. 01 January’23 Page : 145-153

Knowledge of Basic Life support in Post Graduate Residents in two Teaching Hospitals

Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge and training among junior doctors is very important as the junior doctor is mostly the first one to attend the patients in emergency room. Unfortunately, they don’t have enough knowledge. Healthcare professionals need to have hands-on practice regularly in order to retain the BLS skills. Aim: To determine the frequency of adequate knowledge of basic life support among Post graduate residents. Method:A Descriptive, Cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2017 to May 2018 in the Children’s Hospital Lahoreand from June 2022to August 2022 in Government Kot Khawaja Saeed Teaching Hospital, Lahore. A total of 96doctors of all 4 years of postgraduate training program of either genderwere included. A questionnaire was prepared. It included demographic data and BLS knowledge assessment. It was distributed to participants who met the inclusion criteria. It did not contain the name of the participant and confidentiality was maintained. Questionnaire was collected back after the completion and knowledge score was noted as described in questionnaire. Score >8 was taken as adequate knowledge. Results: Mean age was 28.76 ± 2.29 years. Out of 96 participants, 70 were from Children Hospital and 26 from Govt. Kot Khawaja Saeed Teaching Hospital KEMU, 50(52.08%) were males and 46(47.92%) were females. The male to female ratio is 1.1:1. Mean time duration since BLS course attended was 9.12±4.54 months. Mean score was 11.78±3.98. This study has shown frequency of adequate knowledge of basic life support among pediatric residents in 57(59.38%) participants and remaining 39(40.62%) participants showed no adequate knowledge. Conclusion: It is concluded that frequency of adequate knowledge of basic life support among postgraduate residents is good. Keywords: Basic life support (BLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support, residents, adequate knowledge.

Time-to-Task in Interval Simulated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training: A Method for Maintaining Resuscitation Skills

PurposeThe literature supports interval simulation training as a means of improving nurses’ cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. The aim of this project was to improve the time-to-task skills in single-rescuer basic life support (BLS) in an outpatient surgery center through interval simulation training. DesignQuality Improvement project. MethodsTwenty-nine nursing staff were included in this pretest/post-test within subjects interventional design quality improvement project. A 2-minute pretest cardiac arrest simulation was performed in the outpatient surgery center where time-to-task and quality of CPR data were collected. The pretest was followed by a lecture and CPR training. Three months later, the simulation was post-tested in an identical scenario with measures of time-to-task and quality of CPR. FindingsThe mean times for code bell activation and initiation of CPR decreased significantly following the interval simulation training (P < .05). A clinically significant decrease was seen in the mean time-to-task placement of a backboard on code team arrival. ConclusionsInterval simulation training is an effective means of maintaining CPR skills in the outpatient surgery center setting.

Best Practices of Basic Life Support Training in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Guide to Medical Teachers

Basic life support (BLS) is an essential clinical skill that needs to be mastered by graduating medical officers as potential first responders in clinical settings. Inadequate resuscitation skills of healthcare professionals in BLS have been identified as contributing to poor prognosis in cardiac arrest victims. Thus, BLS training has been incorporated into undergraduate medical curricula using various instructional methods to equip their graduates with BLS skills. Despite such training, medical students and junior doctors were found to be under-competent in delivering BLS primarily due to different methods of instruction utilised in BLS training as opposed to simulation-based training, which is identified as the gold standard in BLS training. It is recommended that simulation-based BLS training be conducted, giving more weight to the skill component, in small groups of 3–10 students, complemented by yearly refresher courses and just-in-time training. This article aims to build awareness and inform medical teachers and programme directors on the current best practices of BLS training in undergraduate medical education.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Basic Life Support among Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in Malakand Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

OBJECTIVES To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding basic life support among nurses of three selected District Headquarter Hospitals of Malakand Division Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study was conducted using 210 nursing staff working in these three hospitals. Data were collected using questionnaire, adopted from American Heart Association guidelines 2015. Permission granted by the concerned university and hospital. Consent was taken from the study participants before collecting the data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24 for descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS More than half (52.9%) of the participants had moderately adequate knowledge regarding basic life support (BLS). Majority (60%) of the participants were not performing BLS voluntarily, 30% participants performed BLS but not voluntarily. Majority (82.4%) nursing staff had poor practices regarding basic life support. No significant association was found between the level of knowledge regarding basic life support, socio-demographic variables and participant’s practices regarding basic life support. CONCLUSION Overall, nurses had moderately adequate knowledge and poor practices regarding basic life support. Very less number of nursing staff performed basic life support throughout their working career. Majority of the nursing staff were not basic life support certified. Majority of the nursing staff were not able to handle any emergency situation due to their lack of knowledge related to proper skills of basic life support. Nurses’ needs to be properly trained and certified BLS.

Application of the Modified Basic Life Support Training Model in Improving Community Residents' Rescue Willingness in Nantong City in China.

This study explores the application and effect of the modified basic life support training in improving the first-aid level and rescue willingness of community residents in China. A total of 94 residents of a community in Nantong city were selected as the subjects by cluster sampling to receive the modified basic life support (BLS) training. The BLS knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of all recruited subjects were evaluated by a questionnaire before and after training. A skill operation assessment was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the modified BLS training. There were statistically significant differences in the BLS rescue willingness, theory, and skill scores before and after the training (P < 0.01). A total of 93.62% of the residents considered the modified BLS training model easier to learn and acceptable than the traditional model, and 92.55% of them thought the training content and teaching arrangement were reasonable. The modified BLS training model could improve the community residents' rescue willingness and skill mastery rates, enhance their first-aid skills and awareness, reduce the risk of disease transmission to a certain extent, and improve the success rate of prehospital first aid to ensure the safety of rescuers and patients.

Basic Life Support Skills for high school students pre and post-cardiopulmonary resuscitation training- An interventional study

Introduction: Immediate Bystander CPR improves the survival outcome of victims experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the emergency preparedness level, training feasibility and knowledge retention of BLS skills among High School students. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 participants were included in the study by convenience sampling method. They were provided with Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) scenario and were asked to perform on a CPR training manikin and assessed using a checklist. Following this session, a theoretical background and hands-on training was given to the students by an AHA certified instructor. This session was concluded by reassessing the participants. A week later, we re-assessed their skill retention. Results: The mean pre-training score was 2.6 (± 1.9). The post-training and one week recall scores was 12.44 (± 0.89) and 12 (±1.05) respectively. We observed a significant difference between the pre- and post-training scores (p&lt;0.001). The post-training score and the one week recall scores were similar which implies that the students have good short term knowledge retention of BLS skills. Conclusion: Knowledge of basic life support skills is low among high school students. They have the ability to learn with good hands-on training and instruction. They also have good retention of the skills one week later.

Knowledge and practice toward basic life support among nurses working with SARS-CoV-2 patients in Jordanian hospitals

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess nurse’s knowledge and practice regarding basic life support (BLS) skills while working with SARS-CoV-2 patients in Jordanian hospitals.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 386 nurses with direct contact with SARS-CoV-2 patients at Jordanian hospitals. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used based on the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines.FindingsA total of 386 participants were recruited. The mean years of experience were 7.89 (SD = 5.97). About three quarters of participants revealed they deal with SARS-CoV-2 patients directly (n = 284, 73.6%). The total mean score of nurse’s knowledge was 4.44 (SD = 1.22), while the total mean score of practice was 8.44 (SD = 2.05). Independent t-test was used, which revealed a statistically significant difference between educational level and total score of nurse’s knowledge [t(386) = 0.215 and p = 0.001] and between training to deal with SARS-CoV-2 during BLS and total score of practice [t(386) = 2.66 and p = 0.008]. Pearson correlation discloses a positive correlation between the total score of knowledge and practice (r = 0.343 and p = 0.001).Research limitations/implicationsIn general, nurses revealed a moderate level of knowledge and practice of BLS skills. However, assessing nurse’s knowledge and practice during the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 plays a key role in identifying the gap in nurse’s knowledge and practice, and therefore, it will have an impact on providing high-quality BLS to save infected patients while providing maximum safety according to AHA guidelines.Originality/valueThis study is the first study that examined the level of knowledge and practice of BLS skills during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Jordan.

Teaching cards as low-cost and brief materials for teaching basic life support to 6–10-year-old primary school children – a quasi-experimental combination design study

AimTeaching Basic Life Support (BLS) in schools is a key initiative to improve the survival rates after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Low-cost training materials can reach a wider population. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of using teaching cards with the traditional instructor-led and combined methods on BLS skills and attitude and to evaluate the long-term effects after two months.MethodsA quasi-experimental combination design study. Two hundred sixty-three schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years were assigned to three groups with different methods to teach BLS: teaching card group (n = 100), traditional instructor-led teaching group (n = 91), combined teaching group (n = 72). BLS skills and attitude were measured and compared before the training (T0), after the training (T1), and two months later (T2).ResultsBLS skills improved in every group at T1 compared to T0 (p < 0.001) and remained higher at T2 than at T0 in almost all cases (p < 0.001). Skill performance was similar in most of the skills between the three groups at T1. The best skill scores acquired were calling the ambulance and the correct hand position by chest compression. Positioning the head during check the breathing was more effective in the traditional group (48.4%) and combined group (61.1%) than in the teaching card group (19.0%) (p < 0.001) at T1. However, some skills improved significantly in the teaching card group at T2: check breathing for 10 s (p = 0.016); positioning the head by check breathing (p < 0.001); and positioning the head by ventilation (p = 0.011). Attitude did not change significantly in any of the groups (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the level of attitude was inferior in the teaching card group compared with the traditional (p = 0.005), and the combined groups (p = 0.049).ConclusionUsing low-cost materials for teaching BLS for young schoolchildren can improve their skills, however, could not improve attitudes. Teaching cards were not inferior compared to traditional and combined methods in some skills but inferior in others. Therefore, hands-on training opportunity is still important. Teaching cards are useful for long-term learning. To learn correctly the whole sequence of BLS is difficult for 6 to 10 years-old children, however, they are able to learn more BLS-related skills separately.

Basic Life Support Skills Training Among Healthcare Workers in Nigeria: A State-Wide Evaluation in the Niger-Delta Region

Basic Life Support Skills Training Among Healthcare Workers in Nigeria: A State-Wide Evaluation in the Niger-Delta Region

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of School's Roles about Pediatric Basic Life Support Skills

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of School's Roles about Pediatric Basic Life Support Skills

Pediatric Basic Life Support among Nursing Students in Jordan: Stimulation-Based Education

Background: In the context of seeking to reduce the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in Jordan, there is a need to use simulation to teach and train nursing students in pediatric basic life support (PBLS) skills. This study aims to measure the preservation of PBLS knowledge and determine whether active observation of an immersive simulation using a simple checklist would improve PBLS skills. Methods: A single group pretest-posttest approach design was applied in the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) pediatric simulation lab for 108 nursing students. Results: The result of the paired samples t-test showed that there was a statistically significant increase in PBLS knowledge between pretest and post-test. The result of the paired samples t-test in the group showed that there was a statistically significant enhancement in PBLS skills between pretest and post-test. PBLS skills at pretest were poor (M = 4.31, SD = 1.12). It was reported that place of residence is a significant predictor of knowledge in PBLS (p &lt;.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that a simulation-based PBLS course positively impacted knowledge and skills in pediatric BLS. The findings also suggest that policymakers should establish continued professional development BLS training programs for healthcare providers, especially nurses, which can be provided at low cost in most of the settings around the country.

Basic Life Support Guidance for Caregivers of NICU Graduates: Evaluation of Skill Transfer after Training

Abstract Background Intensivists indeed discharge neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates after a period of physiological stability. There is, however, a real risk of life-threatening events at home. Survival after such episodes depends on time from arrest to initiation of basic life support (BLS). It is rational to train parents who would be first responders. We sought to measure objectively and prospectively, effect of BLS training on parents of NICU graduates on the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains of human learning. Methods After face-to-face training sessions, proportion of home caregivers who obtained 100% marks on a pretested performance checklist for psychomotor skills of BLS on a mannequin were measured. Two other domains of learning and number of attempts required to obtain desirable results were also analyzed. Results Median (interquartile range [IQR]) birth weight of the high-risk neonates was 1,050 g (930, 1570) and median gestational age was 29 (IQR 28, 33) weeks. More than 75% of parents had no prior exposure to BLS training. Among 46 trained caregivers, 80.4% achieved the desired score of 5 in the psychomotor performance checklist on the first attempt. A maximum of two attempts was required to reeducate and achieve score of 5 in the remaining caregivers. Forty-two (91.3%) caregivers obtained full marks on cognitive domain test. All caregivers responded positively toward affective domain questionnaire. Conclusion It is possible to train parents in BLS measures and demonstrate their psychomotor skills on a mannequin effectively. No parents who were approached refused training or indicated anxiety in learning the skills required.

The Effects of an Intervention Based on the Flipped Classroom on the Learning of Basic Life Support in Schoolchildren Aged 10-13 Years: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are attended first by bystanders who are usually friends and/or relatives of the victim. Therefore, the objective of this research was to analyse the impact of a training process based on the flipped classroom on basic life support skills in primary education students. The sample consisted of 308 children (148 experimental group (EG) and 160 control group (CG)) between 10 and 13 years old (M = 10.68 ± 0.64) from 2 schools in Galicia, Spain. The data reveal that the quality parameters are obtained in the number of total compressions in 2 min (CG = 213 and EG = 217; p = 0.024) and in the percentage of correct compressions (CG = 87.23% and EG = 91.6%; p = 0.013) except for the mean depth and the percentage of correct compressions, which were not reached in any case. Regarding the application of an effective discharge with the Automated external defibrillator (AED), there were no significant differences in the time used by schoolchildren between both methods (p = 0.795), but 97.5% (n = 156) of the CG and 100% (n = 148) of the EG are able to do it in just over 1 min. Based on the results obtained, we can conclude that a training program based on the flipped classroom is as effective and viable as traditional training in psychomotricity on CPR techniques and the application of an effective discharge using an AED.

Basic life support awareness among non-medical students at King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Background: The knowledge and skills about basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support are the most important determining factors of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) success rates. Practicing simple CPR techniques as well as knowing BLS improves the chances of survival of the patient until experienced medical help can arrive. In most cases, it is sufficient for survival in itself. The study aimed to determine non-medical undergraduate students' knowledge of BLS and related skills at King Faisal University.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia between October 10 and December 30, 2021. A total of 406 students from nonmedical colleges participated in the study. A validated Arabic-language questionnaire was subsequently administered, which included 10 items assessing knowledge about BLS.Results: A total of 406 participants completed the questionnaire. The majority of participants (82.5%) had poor knowledge of the BLS. A quarter of students (25.1%) indicated that they had previously taken BLS training. Approximately (16%) of students acquired their knowledge about BLS from the internet, 7.6% from watching movies and TV shows, 16% from school subjects, 2.2% from college subjects, and 26.4% from reading.Conclusions: BLS knowledge was very limited among non-medical colleges students. It is evident from the study that nonmedical students need better BLS training in order to respond appropriately to cardiac arrest and other emergency situations.

Pediatic code blue event anaylsis: Performance of non-acute health-care providers

ABSTRACT In-hospital pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest is rare. With more than 50% of patients not surviving to discharge following cardiopulmonary arrest, it is important that health-care providers (HCPs) respond appropriately to deteriorating patients. Our study evaluated the performance of basic life support skills using non-acute HCPs during pediatric inpatient resuscitation events. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all code blue team (CBT) activations in non-acute care areas of a tertiary care children’s hospital from 2008 to 2017. The main outcomes were frequency of life support algorithmic assessments and interventions (critical actions) performed by non-acute HCPs prior to the arrival of CBT. CBT activation and outcome data were summarized descriptively. Logistic regression was used to assess for an association of outcomes with the presence of established leadership. A total of 60 CBT activations were retrieved, 48 of which had data available on isolated non-acute HCP performance. Most children (93%) survived to discharge. Critical action performance review revealed that an airway, breathing and pulse assessment was documented to have occurred in 33%, 69% and 29% of cases, respectively. A full primary assessment was documented in 6% of cases. The presence of established leadership was associated with the performance of a partial ABC assessment. Our results suggest that resuscitation performance of pediatric inpatient non-acute HCPs often does not adhere to standard life support guidelines. These results highlight the need to reconsider the current approaches used for non-acute HCP resuscitation training.

The Impact of Medical Students Teaching Basic Life Support to Laypersons.

Basic life support (BLS) courses for laypersons, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, is known to improve outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac events. We asked medical students to provide BLS training for laypersons as a part of their emergency medicine education and evaluated the effects of training on the BLS skills of laypersons. We also used a questionnaire to determine whether the medical students who provided the BLS training were themselves more confident and motivated to perform BLS compared to students who did not provide BLS training. The proportions of laypersons who reported confidence in checking for a response, performing chest compressions, and automated external defibrillator (AED) use were significantly increased after the BLS training. The proportions of medical students who reported increased confidence/motivation in terms of understanding BLS, checking for a response, chest compression, use of AED, and willingness to perform BLS were significantly greater among medical students who provided BLS instructions compared to those who did not. BLS instruction by medical students was associated with an improvement in laypersons' CPR accuracy and confidence in responding to cardiac arrest. The results indicate that medical students could gain understanding, confidence, and motivation in regard to their BLS skills by teaching BLS to laypersons.