title: Basic life support knowledge, self-reported skills and fears in Danish high school students and effect of a single 45-min training session run by junior doctors; a prospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early recognition and immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation are critical determinants of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Our aim was to evaluate current knowledge on basic life support (BLS) in Danish high school students and benefits of a single training session run by junior doctors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-hundred-fifty-one students were included. They underwent one 45-minute BLS training session including theoretical aspects and hands-on training with mannequins. The students completed a baseline questionnaire before the training session and a follow-up questionnaire one week later. The questionnaire consisted of an eight item multiple-choice test on BLS knowledge, a four-level evaluation of self-assessed BLS skills and evaluation of fear based on a qualitative description and visual analog scale from 0 to 10 for being first responder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three percent of the students (413/651) had participated in prior BLS training. Only 28% (179/651) knew how to correctly recognize normal breathing. The majority was afraid of exacerbating the condition or causing death by intervening as first responder. The response rate at follow-up was 61% (399/651). There was a significant improvement in correct answers on the multiple-choice test (p < .001). The proportion of students feeling well prepared to perform BLS increased from 30% to 90% (p < .001), and the level of fear of being first responder was decreased 6.8 ± 2.2 to 5.5 ± 2.4 (p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of key areas of BLS is poor among high school students. One hands-on training session run by junior doctors seems to be efficient to empower the students to be first responders to OHCA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, Aalborg 9000, Denmark. amroust@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Anne Marie Roust
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aaberg
authors.forename: Caroline Emilie Brenner
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Bodil Steen
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Carolina Malta
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Jacob Moesgaaard
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007096:Imidoesters; D008021:Life Support Systems; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D010820:Physicians; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012574:Schools; D057566:Self Report; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007096:Imidoesters; C016349:buthiobate
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