Basic life support education: the impact of lecturedemonstration in undergraduate students of health sciences

Abstract

Backgroung: Cardiac arrest is a severe public health problem and a leading cause of death worldwide. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), basic life support (BLS) is the bedrock for improving people's survival after a cardiac arrest. Through scientific evidence, empowering health professionals focuses on education in resuscitation is vital to identify and attend a Cardiac arrest victim. In Brazil, there is a lack of data that evaluates the BLS knowledge of health science students. This study analyzed the knowledge retention of medicine, nursing, and physiotherapy students after one year of having a lecture demonstration on BLS. Methods: Longitudinal study. Undergraduate students of health science participated in the data collection and answered a questionnaire based on BLS following AHA guidelines. Data were collected during two consecutive years in three different moments (an assessment, a test after a lecture, and an assessment test one year later). Results: The group improved its score after the class on BLS; the number of correct answers doubled (p <0.001); however, one year later, that score decreased significantly (p <0.001). Conclusion: No retention of knowledge in health sciences students after a year of a lecture demonstration on BLS.