Awareness of Basic Life Support among Egyptian Medical Students; a Cross-Sectional Study
Journal Title: Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine - Year 2018, Vol 6, Issue 1
Abstract
Introduction: It is important for all medical and paramedical staff to be aware of basic life support (BLS) maneuvers. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the level of BLS awareness among Egyptian medical students. Methods: The level of BLS knowledge was assessed using a validated questionnaire and the results were analyzed using an answer key, prepared from the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) manual. We used the Student's t-test to analyze the association between awareness level and year of study, previous BLS training and practical experience. Results: A total of 823 medical students with the mean age of 20.3 ± 2.7 years, from Al-Azhar medical schools completed the questionnaire (463 and 360 in academic and clinical years, respectively). About 72% and 84% of students failed to recognize the proper point of chest compression in adults and infants, respectively. Moreover, the majority (80%) did not know how to give rescue breathing in infants. Only 18% of students correctly identified early signs of shock and only 22% knew how to help patients with myocardial infarction. Being in clinical years, previous BLS training or practical experience were significantly associated with higher BLS knowledge scores (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The level of BLS awareness among Egyptian medical students is generally poor. Introduction of regular BLS courses into the undergraduate curriculum is a must to increase the level of BLS knowledge among Egyptian future physicians.
Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Organ Donation among Relatives of Patients Referred to the Emergency Department
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An Epidemiologic Study of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Emergency Depart-ment
Introduction: Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are one of the most important causes of death in patients under the age of 25 years and is responsible for one third of total deaths caused by trauma. Therefore, knowing its e...
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Measurement Using as a Rapid Alternative to the Westergren Method
Introduction: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) remains as one of the most reliable tests in clinical practices. Yet its use is time consuming and requires a large blood sample. The aim of this study was assessing a f...
The Accuracy of Plain Radiography in Detection of Traumatic Intrathoracic Injuries
Introduction: Rapid diagnosis of traumatic intrathoracic injuries leads to improvement in patient management. This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic value of chest radiography (CXR) in comparison to chest com...
Glasgow Coma Scale and FOUR Score in Predicting the Mortality of Trauma Patients; a Diagnostic Accuracy Study
Introduction: Many scoring models have been proposed for evaluating level of consciousness in trauma patients. The aim of this study is to compare Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) scor...