Background: The aim of this study is to determine the proportion of public hospital physicians in Abruzzo capable of performing basic life support manoeuvres, according to the latest guidelines.
Methods: A questionnaire was formulated, in order to investigate whether the persons interviewed 1) had ever performed a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation; 2) had ever taken any BLS courses involving dedicated dummies; 3) believed to be competent in performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation correctly and if affirmative, the physician was asked to answer three further questions to verify the level of competence. The questionnaire was to be filled in at the proper working place without the aid of books or other material.
Results: Of the 1540 public hospital physicians contacted, 57.6% had participated in cardiopulmonary resuscitation manoeuvres, while only 30% had practised on dedicated dummies. Nevertheless, 69.5% believed to be able to perform the BLS techniques correctly. Of the latter, merely 18% answered all three additional questions correctly.
Conclusions: Cardio-pulmonary arrest is the emergency during which the timeliness of the first resuscitation manoeuvres and their correct performance are the decisive factors for a successful outcome. Without attending regular courses, qualified to teach the proper techniques in depth and recall the acquired procedures, the efficacy of BLS techniques risk to fall below a level of acceptance. Therefore, in the emergency field, it is essential to guarantee a continued training.