Teachers’ training of schoolchildren in basic life support

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Basic life support (BLS) training is crucial for emergency preparedness.
• Integrating BLS education into secondary school curricula can improve public health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term knowledge and performance of secondary school students in basic life support (BLS) six months after receiving training from their teachers.
• To assess the effectiveness of in-school BLS training programs delivered by regular educators.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-two teachers received BLS instruction and subsequently trained 1043 first-year secondary students.
• Student knowledge and performance were assessed immediately after training and again at the six-month follow-up point.

Main Results:

• Student knowledge scores significantly increased post-training and were maintained at six months (P < .001).
• Performance skills were also retained at six months, though achieving ventilation targets presented challenges.
• The training positively influenced students' attitudes towards cardiac arrest scenarios.

Conclusions:

• Teacher-led BLS training in secondary schools is an effective method for imparting life support skills.
• The acquired BLS knowledge and skills demonstrate durability over a six-month period.
• School-based BLS programs can enhance emergency response readiness among young populations.