title: Teaching basic life support to students of public and private high schools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite being recommended as a compulsory part of the school curriculum, the teaching of basic life support (BLS) has yet to be implemented in high schools in most countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare prior knowledge and degree of immediate and delayed learning between students of one public and one private high school after these students received BLS training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty students from each school initially answered a questionnaire on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of the automated external defibrillator (AED). They then received theoretical-practical BLS training, after which they were given two theory assessments: one immediately after the course and the other six months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall success rates in the prior, immediate, and delayed assessments were significantly different between groups, with better performance shown overall by private school students than by public school students: 42% ± 14% vs. 30.2% ± 12.2%, p = 0.001; 86% ± 7.8% vs. 62.4% ± 19.6%, p < 0.001; and 65% ± 12.4% vs. 45.6% ± 16%, p < 0.001, respectively. The total odds ratio of the questions showed that the private school students performed the best on all three assessments, respectively: 1.66 (CI95% 1.26-2.18), p < 0.001; 3.56 (CI95% 2.57-4.93), p < 0.001; and 2.21 (CI95% 1.69-2.89), p < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Before training, most students had insufficient knowledge about CPR and AED; after BLS training a significant immediate and delayed improvement in learning was observed in students, especially in private school students.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Maria Gonçalves
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amanda Lira dos Santos
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna de Sá Duarte
authors.initials: Bde S
authors.lastname: Auto
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário Professor Alberto Antunes, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Elson Gama de
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivan Romero
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Alayde
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mendonça
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D047548:Defibrillators; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017149:Private Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017150:Public Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012016:Reference Values; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors