Awareness of Hands-only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in High School Students in Riyadh

Abstract

High school students have less awareness about CPR in general and hands-only CPR in particular. 88% of sudden cardiac arrest takes place at home, so the delivery of bystander Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a crucial element in the chain of survival of Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA). The primary objective is to assess the level of awareness of hands-only CPR in high school students in the capital city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Cross-sectional design study was conducted in 10 high schools in April 2018. Results: Total 538 male high school students were enrolled during this study period. The major findings were 90% of the participants were Saudis, from private schools (92%), with High School (HS) grade I (46%). Mean age was 17 years. With (56%) no prior knowledge of CPR and (87%) wanting CPR to be mandatory in schools. Conclusion: This research study highlighted the lack of knowledge and awareness of compression-only CPR in male high school students. It is recommended that CPR course should be incorporated in the curriculum and regular refresher courses should be designed to provide hands-on experience and to improve survival rates of out of hospital cardiac arrest.