Background: The aim was to assess future schoolteachers' basic life support (BLS) knowledge and willingness to include this content in school lessons. The aim was also to determine the learning effect of a brief BLS hands-on training session, supported by real-time feedback.
Methods: A convenience sample of 98 University students of Educational Sciences and Sports were recruited. The training program consisted of brief theoretical and hands-on interactive sessions with a 2/10 instructor/participants ratio. Knowledge and willingness was assessed by means of a survey. Chest compressions (CC) and ventilation quality were registered in 47 cases during 1 min cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) tests.
Results: Fifty-eight percent of subjects declared to know how to perform CPR, 62% knew the correct chest compression/ventilation ratio but only one in four knew the CC quality standards. Eighty-eight percent knew what an automated external defibrillator (AED) was; willingness to use the device improved from 70% to 98% after training. Almost half of CCs were performed atan adequate rate. Men performed deeper compressions than women (56.1 ± 4.03 mm vs. 52.17 ± 5.51 mm, p = 0.007), but in both cases the mean value was within recommendations. Full chest recoil was better in women (72.2 ± 32.8% vs. 45.4 ± 32.9%, p = 0.009). All CCs were delivered with correct hand positions.
Conclusions: Brief hands-on training supported by real-time feedback of CPR quality helps future schoolteachers improve their knowledge, self-confidence and CPR skills. BLS training should be implemented in University curricula for schoolteachers in order to promote their engagement in effective BLS training of schoolchildren.
Keywords: automated external defibrillation; basic life support; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; teachers; training.