[Basic life support skills of the first aid course II/standard first aid course ambulance personnel]

This study was undertaken to evaluate thirteen elements of basic life support skills of the First Aid Course II/Standard First Aid Course (FAC II/SFAC) ambulance personnel and to determine the effects of FAC II/SFAC education and basic life support instructor courses. Ninety-eight FAC II/SFAC ambulance personnel were enrolled in this study. It was found that only half of the personnel possessed the skills required for assessing respiration, mask holding and producing adequate tidal volume by the bag-valve-mask devices at the acceptable levels. Regarding the effect of the time that had passed following FAC II/SFAC education, we did not find any correlation between the time and the levels of skills. However, there was a tendency in which the skills for assessing mental status/respiration and for manual airway control were less adequately possessed by FAC II/SFAC personnel who did not take basic life support instructor courses, particularly those who had completed FAC II/SFAC education more than four years prior to this study. Since airway control and respiratory management play a key role in saving patients in life-threatening conditions, we need to critically reevaluate how the initial FAC II/SFAC education and continuing education programs can best be implemented.