Theme
Curriculum
INSTITUTION
Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique, which is useful in many emergencies. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is essential in cases of suffocation, near drowning, electrocution injuries, heart attacks, or any other situation in which a person’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped.
This involves a combination of rescue breathing and chest compressions, which keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until more definitive medical treatment can restore a normal heart rhythm.
Cardiac arrests and accidents are the most common emergencies with grave consequences but the high mortality associated with them can be easily prevented most of the times by some very simple maneuvers and skills. Cardiac or respiratory arrests are a very common emergency in not just the adult group but also in the neonatal period. These emergencies can be easily managed by knowledge and practice of resuscitation skills.
According to the World Health Organization’s 2006 figures, heart disease is the number one killer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Each year, approximately 25,000 Saudis die from heart attack. Furthermore, up to 80% of all cardiac arrests occur at home, thus, one is likely to perform CPR on a family member.
To date, the majority of studies concerning the knowledge and awareness of CPR have been carried out in the developed world.
This study attempts to assess the knowledge and attitudes towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation among the clinical year’s medical students in Riyadh city.
Methods
The study was a cross-sectional survey among male and female clinical year’s medical students in the major medical colleges in Riyadh city, which took place between Dec5th to Dec21st 2013. A pre-designed, systematic, anonymous 18-item questionnaire was prepared in English (Appendix1).
There were no exclusion criteria.
The questionnaires were distributed to the following universities: AL imam university, king Saud university, Al Fisal university, King Saud bin Abdul-Aziz university.
The questionnaires inquired about personal information, knowledge of CPR, sources of this knowledge, skills, interest in CPR, and reasons behind lack of it.
The form was submitted online and the students were asked to enter on the form page and fill it online. The sample size was 100 clinical year’s medical students.
After completion of data collection, it was reviewed, organized, tabulated, and statistically analyzed by using SPSS version 20 program.
Results
Out of 104 students surveyed 82.7% were males and 17.3% were females.
The mean age was 22.78±2.4 years.
The distribution of the students to their colleges is shown in. 94.2% of the students had previous knowledge about CPR.
The most common sources of their knowledge were university (73%), reading (53%), and internet (48%).
Out of those surveyed only 37.5% feel that their knowledge of CPR is adequate. Those who encountered a situation where they needed to use CPR were 8.7%, only 55.5% of them performed it.
Lack of knowledge was the most common cause (75%) for not performing CPR. Attending in CPR courses was found in 71.2% of the whole sample.
The duration of these courses, timing, and what encouraged the students to take them is shown in table 2.
Out of the students who attended a CPR course 87.8% know what to do first when encountering a situation that needs CPR, and 63.5% of them know the new sequence of CPR while 35.1% know the old sequence.
While those who didn’t attend a CPR course 66.7% know what to do first when encountering a situation that needs CPR and 30% know the new sequence of CPR while 63.3% know the old sequence which reflects the importance of attending CPR courses.
Out of the students surveyed 73.1% are willing to perform CPR on anyone. While, the rest refrain from dealing with opposite gender (60%), relatives (20%), or children (13.3%). The most common causes for those who provided them were either due to shyness (40%) or cultural or social impact (30%).
The student’s attitude towered CPR training courses and knowledge of CPR is shown in.
Conclusion
We were found that the overall knowledge towards CPR was positive. However, the attitude towards CPR was adequate but not fully sufficient. Thus, more focus should be placed on the improvement of CPR skills. In addition, more studies are needed to assess knowledge and attitudes towards CPR in the colleges of medicine in Riyadh city.
Discussion
Interest in the knowledge in CPR among medical students in Riyadh city showed a positive sign by which (94.2%) of the students had previous knowledge about CPR.
The most common source of information was the university (73%). This indicates that the medical colleges have a high concern for teaching their students the basic lifesaving techniques.
For those who faced situations where they needed to use CPR, 55% of them acted on what they learned, while those who didn’t act; lack of knowledge was the main reason. So in order for students to be ready to face such situations; stronger implementation of knowledge is required.
Interest in CPR courses was also seen; more than 70% of the students had attended a CPR course. When compared with students who didn’t attend to CPR courses, those who attended had better knowledge regarding the sequence of CPR and how to deal with such situations.
Attitude towered CPR among medical students was highly positive; the most common reason to attend to CPR courses was for personal benefit, and more than 80% of the students believe that it needs to be a graduation requirement. These findings prove that the knowledge of CPR and attitude towered it is held in high regard and is considered important to both students and medical colleges.
In a similar study done in Pakistan regarding first aid knowledge, attitude and practice they have found that medical students who received first aid practice scored higher results than non-medical students (which support that CPR courses have a positive effect on the knowledge and skills of CPR).
Recommendation
A clear connection of the findings of this study and the university’s curriculum and studying program has not been made. We recommend in future studies to compare between the different universities CPR knowledge and skills among students; to help better understand the most effective teaching methods and tools.
Limitation
The accessibility to the students was the major obstacle. Students that volunteer to fill it filled the online submitted questionnaire, thus some universities were over represented.
We would like to thank our research supervisor Dr. Khalid Al Qummizi for his assistance. In addition we would also like to thank everyone who helped us in distributing the questionnaires.
- Knowledge attitude and practices of undergraduate students regarding first aid measures, 2010 jan.
- A survey of resuscitation training in Canadian undergraduate medical programs, 1991 Jul.
- Impact of additional module training on the level of basic life support knowledge of first year students at the University of Maribor, 2011 April 19.
- The Global Burden of Disease in 2002: data sources, methods and results. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2003.
- Cardiac arrest in private locations: different strategies are needed to improve outcome Resuscitation, 2003.
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