Background:
Knowledge of first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is very important in schools, where children, teens and even employees are subject. Our objective was to evaluate the knowledge of teachers and employees of public schools in São Paulo on first aid and CPR with automated external defibrillator (AED).
Methods:
A questionnaire on the content that is covered in the course of First Aid from the American Heart Association was applied to faculty and staff of public schools in São Paulo. After answering the questionnaire, all volunteers took the course First Aid with CPR and AED.
Results:
The study included 563 volunteers: 227 (40%) teachers and 336 (60%) school staff. The mean age was 42 ± 12 years, 101 (18%) were male and 80 participants (14%) had already done a course in First Aid and / or CPR. The mean number of correct answers was 6.5 (46%) in a total of 14 questions. The questions with the greatest number of errors were: frequency of chest compressions (82%), depth of chest compressions (78%), handling of automated external defibrillator (77%), what to do with an unconscious victim (64%), compression ratio and ventilation (61%), conduct on a victim with nosebleed (53%) and conduct on a victim with convulsion (52%). When asked if they were interested in doing a course in first aid, 95% answered yes, 89% believe that the contents of first aid should be placed in the grade of students albeit in a simplified manner.
Conclusion:
We conclude that the degree of knowledge of teachers and employees of public schools in São Paulo is quite insufficient, although the vast majority has an interest in pursuing a course that addresses the topic of first aid and CPR with AED. It would therefore be very interesting that the government underscored the importance of the subject and stimulate training for teachers, school staff and students.
Effectiveness and limitations of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation with an automated external defibrillator in the curriculum of First Aid courses among lay people