Basic life support awareness among medical undergraduate students in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Mohamad Shadi Alkarrash; Mohammad Nour Shashaa; Mohammad Nour Kitaz; Roaa Rhayim; Mohammed Ismail; Sarya Swed; Wael Hafez; M Ihsan Kaadan; Hamzeh Koumakli; Nour Alhisah; Ahmed Al-Haider; Samer Al-Salloum; Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda

doi:10.1186/s12245-023-00521-0

Basic life support awareness among medical undergraduate students in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Int J Emerg Med. 2023 Jul 24;16(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12245-023-00521-0.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
² Faculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria. saryaswed1@gmail.com.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Division, The National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ NMC Royal Hospital, 16Th Street, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Faculty of Medicine, University of Albaath, Homs, Syria.
⁸ Faculty of Medicine, University of October 6 University, Madaba, Jordan.
⁹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq.
¹⁰ Emergency Department, Aleppo University Hospital, Aleppo, Syria.
¹¹ Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón, Ecuador.
¹² Respiralab Research Group, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Abstract

Background and aims: Basic life support (BLS) training rates vary widely worldwide, and there is a general scarcity of surveys that assess students' knowledge and awareness of BLS in middle eastern nations. This study aims to evaluate medical students' knowledge and awareness towards basic life support.

Methods: A cross-sectional study, using an online web-based questionnaire, assessing BLS awareness and knowledge, was conducted from 3 to 30 November 2021. The study included 2114 medical students from Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic baseline characteristics, knowledge about BLS, and ability to apply basic life support. A binominal logistic regression was done between the total score and other demographic characteristics to determine if we could predict the research sample's appropriate knowledge of BLS level.

Results: There was a moderate knowledge of BLS and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills among participating students with an average score of 19.67 (0-34). Seventy-eight of the participants (1656) stated that they have not attended a basic life support course. There was a significant difference between the participants from different countries, where the mean score in Syria, Jordan, and Iraq was 18.3, 24.3, and 18.8, respectively (p < 0.05). Considering the level of knowledge, 18.3%, 72.8%, and 8.9% of the participants had a high, intermediate, and low level, respectively. Furthermore, students who took a BLS course had a higher level of knowledge than those who did not, with an odds ratio of 5.168 (p value < 0.0001).

Conclusion: The overall knowledge of medical students' basic life support knowledge is insufficient and need to be greatly improved. According to this study, previous participation in basic life support training had a positive effect on knowledge level. As a result, universities must establish basic life support programs as quickly as possible.

Keywords: Awareness; Basic life support; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Iraq; Jordan; Medical students; Syria.