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

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Cardiovascular Resuscitation Science

Background:

• Basic life support (BLS) is critical in emergency medical management.
• Ambulance personnel are vital for pre-hospital resuscitation.
• Limited data exists on BLS knowledge among ambulance staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the level of basic life support knowledge among ambulance personnel.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital's emergency department.
• Universal sampling included all ambulance personnel over one month.
• Data collected on vehicle type, personnel, qualifications, equipment, and BLS knowledge using AHA 2015 guidelines.

Main Results:

• Analysis included 104 ambulances and 210 personnel.
• 79 team leaders lacked paramedical degrees; 58 had prior BLS training.
• 63% of team leaders demonstrated poor BLS knowledge (score 0-4).

Conclusions:

• A significant majority of ambulance personnel exhibit inadequate basic life support knowledge.
• Regular, targeted training in BLS is essential for ambulance teams.