Final-year medical students' knowledge of cardiac arrest and CPR: We must do more!
Cardiac arrest
Defibrillators
Medical students
Journal
International journal of cardiology
ISSN: 1874-1754
Titre abrégé: Int J Cardiol
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 8200291
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 12 2019
01 12 2019
Historique:
received:
21
04
2019
revised:
27
06
2019
accepted:
04
07
2019
pubmed:
4
8
2019
medline:
11
8
2020
entrez:
4
8
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Students are an important part of the community response to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). If even schoolchildren now know cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), even more the reason a young doctor should know how to treat an OHCA. The aim of our study was to assess medical students' knowledge of CPR and OHCA throughout Europe. An online survey was given to final-year students by the Medical Student Associations of different countries. 1012 medical students from 99 different universities and 14 different countries completed the questionnaire. A total of 82.2% attended a BLS or BLS/AED course, provided by the University in only 69.7% of cases. In 84.3% it was a mandatory part of their degree. A total of 78.6% felt able to rescue a person in OHCA. Only 49.3% knew that 'unresponsiveness' and 'absence of normal breathing' are sufficient for lay people to identify an OHCA, and less than half of those interviewed knew the incidence of OHCA in Europe and the decrease in chance of survival if CPR is not performed. The correct compression:ventilation ratio was known by 90.2%, the correct compression depth by 69.7%, whilst only 57.8% knew the right compression rate. In total, 69.7% knew that an AED must be used immediately when available, and only 57.2% recognized the AED symbol. Medical students' knowledge of cardiac arrest and CPR needs to be improved throughout Europe and we believe that BLS/AED training should be mandatory in all European Universities.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Students are an important part of the community response to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). If even schoolchildren now know cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), even more the reason a young doctor should know how to treat an OHCA. The aim of our study was to assess medical students' knowledge of CPR and OHCA throughout Europe.
METHODS
An online survey was given to final-year students by the Medical Student Associations of different countries.
RESULTS
1012 medical students from 99 different universities and 14 different countries completed the questionnaire. A total of 82.2% attended a BLS or BLS/AED course, provided by the University in only 69.7% of cases. In 84.3% it was a mandatory part of their degree. A total of 78.6% felt able to rescue a person in OHCA. Only 49.3% knew that 'unresponsiveness' and 'absence of normal breathing' are sufficient for lay people to identify an OHCA, and less than half of those interviewed knew the incidence of OHCA in Europe and the decrease in chance of survival if CPR is not performed. The correct compression:ventilation ratio was known by 90.2%, the correct compression depth by 69.7%, whilst only 57.8% knew the right compression rate. In total, 69.7% knew that an AED must be used immediately when available, and only 57.2% recognized the AED symbol.
CONCLUSIONS
Medical students' knowledge of cardiac arrest and CPR needs to be improved throughout Europe and we believe that BLS/AED training should be mandatory in all European Universities.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31375334
pii: S0167-5273(19)32072-8
doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.07.016
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
76-80Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Type : CommentIn
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Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.