Awareness of indications and procedural techniques of basic life support and cardio -pulmonary and cerebral resuscitation among undergraduate medical students and the possibility of including the topic into the current existing curriculum

Abstract

Author(s): Sameer M Khan

Background: The future doctors are today's medical students. Being ready to perform emergency life-saving techniques like Cardiopulmonary and Cerebral Resuscitation (CPCR) whenever and whenever necessary is one of the most important abilities that students should acquire during their graduate training. The students are essential to the process of learning, developing, and ingraining the most useful clinical competence in CPCR.

Aim: The aims of the study are to assess undergraduate medical students' awareness of CPCR, to screen students' knowledge of precise, efficient CPCR procedural techniques; determining their interest in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training programs; and instilling CPCR as an active component of clinical practice going forward.

Materials and Methods: The questionnaire comprised of three essential parts; first one dealing with general questions to know the importance of CPR in clinical practice, second one consisted of the main goal and accuracy of CPR intervention and the last segment comprised of questions targeting the indications, methods and effectiveness of CPR. The study consisted of year 2 to year 5 undergraduates. The components of awareness, indications and of CPCR were scored. Descriptive statistics and multiple response analyses were done by using SPSS software.

Results: The participants had good knowledge about the importance of CPCR in clinical practice and stand average in knowing its indications and effectiveness. Whereas, only 1.2% of them were completely aware about the universal compression ventilation ratio, and 20.4% were aware of the current order of CPCR being Compression, Airway and Breathing (CAB).

Conclusion: Although there is a decent level of CPCR awareness among the participants, CPCR skills must be learned through appropriate, approved training programs on a regular basis, and knowledge must be updated to reflect evolving CPCR trends. The pupils' overall impression was negative, and they lacked confidence in their ability to execute BLS/CPR. To increase the students' knowledge, CPR/BLS instruction and training must begin early in the curriculum. Their confidence would grow with more training.

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