Community life support training: does it attract the right people?
Members of the public recruited by means of a local newspaper campaign for basic life support instruction by mass training sessions. Six hundred and seventy-two were trained and a random sample of 241 completed a questionnaire on their attitudes and willingness to attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an emergency. At the end of the course almost all (99%) approved the concept of community training and 198 (82%) believed themselves capable of saving a life using the techniques they had been taught. Sixty-seven percent of respondents were related to someone with a heart problem and more than 97% expressed willingness to resuscitate a relative. Half would be willing to attempt resuscitation in unpleasant circumstances, but only a quarter thought that they might do so if the casualty had vomited. The campaign was successful in recruiting members of the public related to those with a higher risk of cardiac arrest and producing life supporters who intended to use their skills, should they be required.
Lester
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C
Centre for Applied Public Health Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Lansdowne Hospital, Cardiff.
Donnelly
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P
Assar
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D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation