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Can physician-supervised medical students expand access to infant basic life support training? A prospective
Claudia Dizioli Franco Bueno1, Marcelo Dias Ferreira1, Davi Martins1
1State University of Pará - UEPA, Marabá, PA, Brazil.
Insights
Training caregivers in infant Basic Life Support (BLS) using supervised medical students is feasible and improves knowledge. Long-term retention requires reinforcement strategies to maintain skills for infant emergencies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Medical Education
Background:
- Infants face significant risks from cardiorespiratory arrest and choking, necessitating prompt home-based interventions.
- Parental training in Basic Life Support (BLS) is crucial for early emergency response.
- Limited access to qualified instructors hinders widespread BLS training for caregivers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of a supervised BLS training model for infant emergencies.
- To assess long-term knowledge retention among caregivers trained by medical students.
- To compare BLS training delivery by physicians versus supervised medical students.
Main Methods:
- Prospective quasi-experimental study involving 59 infant caregivers.
- Simulation-based BLS training delivered by physicians or supervised final-year medical students.
- Knowledge assessment at baseline, immediately post-training, and at 12 months.
Main Results:
- Knowledge scores significantly increased post-training and remained elevated at 12 months.
- A slight decline in knowledge was observed between immediate post-test and 12-month follow-up.
- No significant difference in knowledge scores between physician and medical student instructors; private sector caregivers scored higher.
Conclusions:
- Physician-supervised medical students can effectively deliver infant BLS education.
- The model demonstrates feasibility for expanding caregiver training access.
- Planned reinforcement strategies are necessary to ensure sustained knowledge over time.
Abstract:
Infants are particularly vulnerable to cardiorespiratory arrest and choking, emergencies that often occur at home and require immediate intervention. Training parents and caregivers in Basic Life Support (BLS) can improve early emergency response, but access to qualified instructors remains limited. This study evaluated the feasibility of a supervised BLS training model using final-year medical students under direct physician supervision, focusing on long-term knowledge retention.
Methods:
In this prospective quasi-experimental study, 59 caregivers of infants aged 30 days to two years received standardized simulation-based BLS training delivered either by physicians or by final-year medical students under direct physician supervision. Knowledge was assessed before training, immediately afterward, and at 12 months. Participants were recruited from public and private outpatient settings, which were compared as an exploratory proxy for socioeconomic context. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze repeated measures, with participant included as a random effect.
Results:
In the complete-case analysis (n = 51), knowledge scores increased significantly immediately after training (adjusted mean difference, 8.0 points; 95% CI, 7.1-8.9; p < 0.001) and remained above baseline at 12 months (adjusted mean difference, 5.9 points; 95% CI, 5.0-6.8; p < 0.001). Scores declined between the immediate post-test and 12-month follow-up (mean decrease, 2.1 points; 95% CI, 1.2-3.0; p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference was detected between instructor groups (adjusted mean difference, 0.7 points; 95% CI, -0.1 to 1.5; p = 0.093). Caregivers from the private sector scored higher than those from the public sector (adjusted mean difference, 1.3 points; 95% CI, 0.5-2.1; p = 0.001).
Conclusions:
Physician-supervised medical students may contribute to infant BLS education for caregivers when direct physician supervision and a standardized protocol are maintained. This exploratory finding supports feasibility under supervision, not equivalence. The decline in theoretical knowledge over 12 months highlights the need for planned reinforcement strategies.
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