Current state of knowledge of basic life support in health professionals of the largest city in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Health Professionals' knowledge and practice on basic life support and its predicting factors in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Basic Life Support (BLS) is a sequence of care provided to patients who are experiencing respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, or airway obstruction. Its main purpose is to maintain the airway, breathing, and circulation through CPR. This review aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of Health Professionals' knowledge and practice on basic life support in Ethiopia.

METHOD

Eligible primary studies were accessed from international database (PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinari databases) and grey literatures found in online repositories. The required data were extracted from those studies and exported to Stata 17 for analysis. A weighted inverse-variance random-effects model and Der Simonian-Laird estimation method were used to compute the overall pooled prevalence of Health Professional's knowledge, practice of basic life support and its predictors. Variations across the included studies were checked using forest plot, funnel plot, I2 statistics, and Egger's test.

RESULT

A total of 5,258 Health Professionals were included from 11 studies. The pooled prevalence of knowledge and practice outcomes on basic life support in Ethiopia were 47.6 (95% CI: 29.899, 65.300, I2: 99.21%) and 44.42 (95% CI: 16.42, 72.41, I2: 99.69) respectively. Educational status of the Professional's was significantly associated with knowledge outcome. Those who had degree and above were 1.9 times (AOR: 1.90 (1.24, 2.56)) more likely knowledgeable on basic life support than under degree.

CONCLUSION

The overall pooled estimates of Health Professionals knowledge and practice on basic life support was considerably low. The educational status of the Health Professionals was significantly associated with knowledge outcome. The Health Professionals and responsible stakeholders should focus on the basic life support at Health Institutions. The professionals should advance their knowledge and skill on basic life support for the patients.

N, Rojas Cadena M, Naranjo-Lara P, Mendoza AP, Jima-Sanmartín J, Casanova DA, García B, Giraldo NC. Assessment of preparedness and proficiency in basic and advanced life support among nursing professionals: a cross-sectional study

Background

Cardiac diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide, including sudden cardiac arrest in particular. Nursing professionals are often the first to encounter these scenarios in various settings. Adequate preparation and competent knowledge among nurses significantly impact survival rates positively.

Aim

To describe the state of knowledge about Basic and Advanced Life Support guidelines among Ecuadorian nursing professionals.

Methodology

A nationwide, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2023 among Ecuadorian nursing professionals. Participants were invited through official social media groups such as WhatsApp and Facebook. The study utilized a self-administered online questionnaire to evaluate theoretical knowledge of Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS). Knowledge scores were assigned based on the number of correct answers on the tests. T-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to examine relationships between knowledge scores and demographic and academic training variables.

Results

A total of 217 nursing professionals participated in the study. The majority of the participants were female (77.4%) and held a university degree (79.9%). Among them, only 44.7% claimed to have obtained a BLS training certificate at least once, and 19.4% had ALS certification. The overall BLS knowledge score (4.8/10 ± 1.8 points) was higher than the ALS score (4.3/10 ± 1.8 points). Participants who had obtained BLS certification and those who used evidence-based summaries as a source of extracurricular training achieved higher BLS and ALS knowledge scores.

Conclusion

Ecuadorian nursing professionals in this study exhibited a significant deficiency in theoretical knowledge of BLS and ALS. Formal training and preparation positively impact life support knowledge. Support and inclusion of Ecuadorian nurses in training and academic preparation programs beginning at the undergraduate level are essential for promoting life support knowledge and improving outcomes.

Assessing the Proficiency in Basic and Advanced Life Support Among Physicians in Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

Cardiorespiratory arrest's unpredictability poses a global health challenge, with gaps in physicians' life support knowledge potentially leading to poor patient outcomes, a factor yet unstudied among Ecuadorian physicians. This study aims to elucidate the state of physicians' theoretical knowledge in Ecuador based on Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) guidelines.

Patients and methods

A national cross-sectional online 35-questions survey was conducted between February and March 2023 using a self-administered, expert-validated questionnaire. Participants' responses were obtained through official social media groups (WhatsApp and Facebook). The survey evaluated the theoretical knowledge of BLS and ALS, with scores based on the number of correct answers out of a maximum of 10.0 points. For descriptive analysis, frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations (SD) were used. The T-test and one-way ANOVA were utilized to analyze the associations between knowledge levels and demographic and academic training variables of Ecuadorian doctors. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant for all analyses.

Results

The survey garnered responses from 385 physicians, with a majority being female (56.6%) and possessing less than 3 years of work experience (75.1%). Of these, 71.7% and 51.9% held BLS and ALS certifications, respectively. Knowledge scores for BLS (5.8/10 ± 1.6) surpassed those for ALS (4.7/10 ± 1.8) (p < 0.001). Physicians with less than 3 years of work experience exhibited higher knowledge scores in both BLS and ALS tests (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

This study revealed a notable deficiency in the theoretical knowledge of BLS and ALS among surveyed Ecuadorian physicians. Factors such as prior certification and years of work experience appeared to influence knowledge levels. Continual training and updates in life support protocols at universities and healthcare institutions are key to enhancing physicians' skills and patient outcomes.

Importance of basic life support training in rural India

Basic life support (BLS) provided right away can lower fatality rates. Cardiac arrest typically results in death within minutes if it is untreated. Therefore, it is of interest to assess how BLS training affected villagers. The pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was chosen for the investigation. A non-probability volunteer sampling technique was adopted to collect a sample of 220 village residents who met the inclusion requirements. The participants received training in basic life support that is achieved by using a real-life role model, hands-on CPR instruction. Checklist served as a standardized method for assessing the BLS training program. The pre-test and post-test's means were 23.05 and 56.51, respectively, and their respective standard deviations were 11.89 and 8.27. The 'z test' calculation result is 12.36) The results showed that BLS training was more successful for villagers and that they required regular BLS training programs to maintain their BLS skill level.

Factors affecting knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers towards basic life support in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan: a cross-sectional analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers towards basic life support (BLS) in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, and to investigate the factors affecting them.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

This study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan.

PARTICIPANTS

201 healthcare professionals were recruited for this study through simple convenience sampling which included house officers (HOs), trained medical officers, postgraduate residents, professors, specialty registrars and nurses. Healthcare professionals who were reluctant to give consent were excluded from the study.

RESULTS

Among the chosen participants, only 16.4% had good knowledge whereas 63% had a good attitude towards BLS. Knowledge of participants was found to be positively associated with less time elapsed between the training sessions (p=0.041). On the other hand, factors such as age(p=0.004), designation (p=0.05), number of BLS sessions attended (p=0.012) and the time elapsed since the last BLS session attended (p=0.015), were positively associated with the attitude of healthcare professionals.

CONCLUSION

The level of knowledge and attitude towards BLS by healthcare professionals was suboptimal. Those individuals who had attended BLS training sessions frequently had better knowledge and attitude as compared with their counterparts.

An evaluation of basic life support training among medical students in Southwest Nigeria: A web-based study

Background

Basic Life Support (BLS) is considered a lifesaving measure and sound knowledge is expected among health professionals. Studies conducted among medical doctors and students in many developing countries show deficiencies in knowledge and practice of essential BLS skills. This study assessed the awareness, knowledge, perception, practice, accessibility and barriers to BLS training amongst medical students in South-Western Nigeria, exposing skill gaps and training challenges to inform appropriate solutions.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional descriptive e-survey involving 2^nd - 6^th year medical students enrolled in 12 regional medical schools. Overall, 553 responses were received over a 3-month period from November 2020 to January 2021 and analyzed using IBM-SPSS 26.

Results

Of the 553 respondents, 79.2% were aware of BLS however only 160 (29%) respondents had good knowledge of BLS principles. Increasing age, higher level of study, prior BLS training and being enrolled in College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL) were significantly associated with a higher knowledge score (p<0.05). Majority (99.5%) considered BLS training necessary however, only 51.3% had prior training. Increased level of study correlated with prior BLS training (p<0.05) alongside higher BLS uptake by respondents from CMUL (26.7%) and College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (20.9%) compared to respondents from other schools (p<0.05). Only 35.4% had ever done Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Most respondents reported no confidence in performing BLS (67.1%) or in using an Automated External Defibrillator (85.7%). Unavailability of training opportunities in state (35%), town (42%) and cost (27%) were major barriers to BLS training identified.

Conclusion

Despite a high level of awareness of BLS training, knowledge of BLS principles and its practice is poor among Nigerian medical students, reflecting a need to integrate stand-alone/structured BLS trainings into the medical curriculum to increase participation and accessibility by medical students.

Knowledge of Basic Life Support among Doctors and Nurses Attending a Refresher Course in a Teaching Hospital in Southwest Nigeria

Background

Poor knowledge of Basic Life Support (BLS) can lead to hesitation in delivering prompt intervention, thus increasing mortality in people with cardiac arrest. We set out to determine level of knowledge of Basic Life Support among doctors and nurses working in a teaching hospital in Nigeria.

Methodology

Self-administered questionnaires were employed in a descriptive, cross-sectional study to assess knowledge of doctors and nurses. The overall knowledge score and, separate scores for doctors and nurses were calculated. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20.

Results

Two hundred and fifty participants (18-59) years were evaluated. There were more females (153, 61.2%) and more nurses (149, 59.8%). Sixty (24%) of the participants had received at least one previous BLS training. One hundred and one (40.4%) participants scored ≥50%. The overall average score was 43.6%. The average score for doctors and nurses were 45.1% and 42.7% respectively. Knowledge in some domains were very low viz: sequence in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2.8%), compression-to-breath ratio (2.8%) and compression rate (32.3%). There was no significant difference in knowledge score by profession, gender, previous exposure to BLS training, number of years post-qualified and number of years in service.

Conclusion

Healthcare workers in Nigeria have poor knowledge of BLS. They require training and re-training in BLS via creative and innovative means that are best suited for resource poor countries.

Assessment of Knowledge, Practice, and Associated Factors Towards Airway and Breathing Management Among Nurses Working in the Emergency Departments of Selected Public Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

As airway issues or respiratory failures are the leading causes of death in the first hours after an injury, nurses’ understanding and practice of fundamental airway and breathing therapies remain “cornerstones” of competent emergency care. As a result, the goal of this study was to evaluate nurses’ airway and breathing management knowledge, practice, and associated factors in the emergency departments of selected governmental hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

During the study period of April 12 to April 30, 2021, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with a thorough enumeration of all respondents using the census method. The data were collected from the respondents using a self-administered and structured questionnaire. Data quality was ensured by pre-testing the tools and giving data collectors training. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 program. The researchers used mean, frequency, bivariable, and multiple logistic regression analyses. Only P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 102 people took part in this study, with a 96.2% response rate. Females made up slightly more than half of the respondents 52.9%, and their ages ranged from 24 to 48 years old, with a mean age of 29.50 (SD ± 4.96). Only 45.1% of those polled were well versed in the emergency airway and breathing management. About 90.2% of the respondents had a BSc degree. At p< 0.05, having previously received airway and breathing management training was statistically correlated with knowledge.

Conclusion

Although many of the practice problems were correctly answered, the respondents in this study had insufficient knowledge of airway and breathing management. As a result, it is critical to give nursing training because it is strongly linked to the knowledge and practice of nurses.

Basic life support, a necessary inclusion in the medical curriculum: a cross-sectional survey of knowledge and attitude in Uganda

BACKGROUND

Uganda continues to depend on a health system without a well-defined emergency response system. This is in the face of the rising cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest contributed largely to the high incidence of road traffic accidents. Non-communicable diseases are also on the rise further increasing the incidence of cardiac arrest. Medical students are key players in the bid to strengthen the health system which warrants an assessment of their knowledge and attitude towards BLS inclusion in their study curriculum.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 among undergraduate medical students across eight public and private universities in Uganda. An online-based questionnaire was developed using Google forms and distributed via identified WhatsApp groups. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test and logistic regression were performed in STATA 15 to assess the association between knowledge of BLS and demographics. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Out of the total 354 entries obtained, 351 were analyzed after eligibility screening. Of these, (n = 250, 71.2%) were male less than 25 years (n = 273, 77.8%). Less than half (n = 150, 42.7%) participants had undergone formal BLS training. Less than a third of participants (n = 103, 29.3%) had good knowledge (≥ 50%) with an overall score of 42.3 ± 12.4%. Age (p = 0.045), level of academic progress (p = 0.001), and prior BLS training (p = 0.033) were associated with good knowledge. Participants with prior training were more likely to have more BLS knowledge (aOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.7, p = 0.009). The majority (n = 348, 99.1%) believed that BLS was necessary and would wish (n = 343, 97.7%) to have it included in their curriculum.

CONCLUSIONS

Undergraduate medical students have poor BLS knowledge but understand its importance. Institutions need to adopt practical teaching methods such as clinical exposures, field experience in collaboration with local implementers, and participating in community health promotion campaigns.

Awareness of Iranian Medical Sciences Students Towards Basic Life Support; a Cross-Sectional study

Introduction

Augmentation of the number of trained basic life support (BLS) providers can remarkably reduce the number of cardiac arrest victims. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of BLS awareness among students of medical sciences in Iran.

Methods

This multicenter cross-sectional study was performed on medical students at the 4 major medical schools in Tehran, the capital of Iran, between Jan 2018 and Feb 2019, using convenience sampling method. The level of medical sciences students' awareness of BLS was measured using an international questionnaire.

Results

Finally, 1210 students with the mean age of 21.2 ± 2.3 years completed the survey (79% female). 133 (10.9%) students had CPR experience and none had received any formal training. None of the responders could answer all questions correctly. The mean awareness score of participants was 11.93 ± 2.87 (range: 10.13 -17.25). The awareness score of participants was high in 49 (4.04 %) participants, moderate in 218 (18.01%), and low in 943 (77.93%) of studied cases.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, more than 70% of the studied medical sciences students obtained a low score on BLS awareness.

How much ambulance personnel know about basic life support (BLS)? A hospital-based study from Eastern India

Background:

Basic life support (BLS) is an important component of emergency medical management. Ambulance personnel play a key role in resuscitation to save a life before reaching the hospital. We do not have any published data about the level of knowledge on BLS among the ambulance personnel.

Objective:

This study was done with the objective to assess the level of knowledge on BLS among the ambulance personnel.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was done in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care hospital. Universal sampling was done taking all the personnel of ambulances over the period of one month. Data were collected about the type of vehicle used for ambulance, the number of personnel in an ambulance, educational qualifications, and equipment present in their ambulances. The questionnaire to capture the level of knowledge were based on American Heart Association 2015 guidelines.

Result:

The total number of ambulance arrivals was 729 times. But data analysis was done from 104 ambulances excluding the repeat arrivals and those who did not give consent. There were 62 type-C and D ambulances, and 42 were type-B ambulances. Total of 210 personnel were there in 104 ambulances. Seventy-nine team leaders did not have any paramedical degrees. Fifty-eight team leaders were trained in BLS before working in an ambulance. In spite of this, 66 (63%) team leaders had poor performance (score of 0 to 4).

Conclusion:

The level of knowledge on BLS was poor in more than half of the ambulance personnel. They should be trained regularly on providing BLS.

Evaluating the effectiveness of cardiac arrest resuscitation short course (CARS) for rural physicians of Asia: The Rural Emergency Care Training for Physicians (RECTIFY) project

Background:

Physicians from resource-constrained rural areas being lone lifesavers pose a unique challenge in resuscitating emergencies like cardiac arrest. Rural Emergency Care Training for Physicians (RECTIFY) was devised as a short course training to equip them to deal with occasional emergencies using minimal gadgets. This study was conceived to assess the effectiveness of the RECTIFY-Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Short course (CARS) module in improving current knowledge and practice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among interested rural physicians of Asia.

Methods:

A three-tier observational study was conducted to assess current CPR knowledge with a pretested structured questionnaire and skills using a checklist, followed by a 3-h hands-on training and posttest evaluation using the same study instruments. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS 13.0.

Results:

Out of 622 participants, most of the participants (603; 96.9%) were willing to provide CPR despite poor knowledge and skills. Pretest scores averaged 1.5 ± 0.99 and 0.1 ± 0.3 for CPR knowledge and skills, respectively. Posttest scores for CPR knowledge (10.5 ± 1.5) and skills (2.8 ± 1.6) improved significantly (both P = 0.001). Whereas a majority improved upon chest compression skills, appropriate use of sophisticated gadgets like automated external defibrillators (AED) was low (2.4%) despite training.

Conclusion:

The level of knowledge and skill among participants was poor despite the enthusiasm and positive intent. The impact of RECTIFY-CARS on knowledge and skills among participant physicians was significant and is recommended for implementation by health policymakers in resource-poor rural settings. However, essential gadgets like AED were not impactful which necessitates the use of simpler rural alternatives.