Awareness and knowledge of pediatric cardio- pulmonary resuscitation in the community of Al-Khobar city

Abstract

Background:The history of resuscitation going back thousands of years has been reported in literature throughout history. This concept has undergone several decisive revolutionary changes particularly in pediatrics. Although the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is relatively new in pediatrics, progress has been remarkable in the last a few decades. As it becomes more popular, especially under the influence of globalizing media, CPR also becomes a life requirement that is not restricted to health professionals.Materials and Methods:This was a cross-sectional community-based survey of 753 individuals of both sexes, visiting the first Pediatric Health Awareness Week held at Dammam University Hospital in April 2013. Data were collected by a personal face-to-face interview during which a short history was taken and a check list of sociodemographic data and questions related to infants' CPR was completed. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS.Results:The study was carried out on 753 subjects (602 Saudis, 151 non-Saudis, 483 females, and 270 males). The mean age of participants was 33.3 ± 10.9 years. The postsecondary school level of education was 37.5% among females versus 21.9% among males. Of the participants, 80.8% of the females and 86.5% of males were totally unaware of CPR. The mean number of children among participants was 3.5 ± 2.5 children. There were 150 participants (19.9%) with disabled children; 32% of them (6.4% of all participants) were completely unaware of CPR despite having disabled children. Overall, 15.5% of all female participants had attended some CPR course (s) compared with 6.1% of the males; 18.7% of the females had watched CPR program (s)/video (s) on TV or online compared to 11.1% of the males, and 59.4% of the females were willing and eager to participate in any CPR course compared with 29.3% of the males. The reasons for not wanting to attend CPR courses were as follows: 48.6% indicated that it was because of the unavailability of such courses, 41.4% said because of time constraints, and 10% gave financial reasons. Finally, the study showed that 365 females (84.3%) and 247 males (91.2%) did not know when to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and/or chest compression, and would do it for the wrong reasons.Conclusion:Public awareness and knowledge on CPR was inadequate even among the younger population, and among parents with disabled children. The general public were willing to improve their knowledge and skills of CPR. We recommend that CPR courses/campaigns should be provided to the public and be included in high school curricula.

Current Status of Knowledge about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation among the University Students in the Northern Region of Saudi Arabia

“…However, it was responsible for 9.1% not performing CPR in the US study [ 35 ], in which both genders were willing to attend a CPR training course whenever possible. Previous studies in Saudi Arabia reported that 59% of females were not performing CPR compared to 29% of males [ 30 ]. In general, male's students have more knowledge about CPR as compared with female students; the reason is male students are more interested to do outdoor activities.…”

“…In a very recent study targeting the general dentists in Kuwait, 64% showed low knowledge, while only 36% have high knowledge about CPR [ 29 ]. In Saudi Arabia, few studies about CPR knowledge were conducted in a study on 753 subjects in Al-Khobar city in which 80.8% of the females and 86.5% of the males were totally unaware of CPR; however, 88.7% of all participants were willing to attend CPR courses in the future [ 30 ]. In another study conducted among secondary schools in Riyadh, 56% of the students did not have enough knowledge about CPR, and about 67% of all students wanted to know more about CPR [ 31 ].…”

Awareness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among parents of 3‐year‐old children

“…Other studies have also highlighted the urgent need for increased awareness of CPR among parents . To the best of our knowledge, only one study has evaluated the awareness of CPR among parents . That study found that the prevalence of CPR knowledge among parents was approximately 20%, but the factors associated with awareness of CPR were not evaluated.…”

Sources of Knowledge about CPR and Its Association with Demographical Characteristics in Saudi Arabia

“…In fact, the average scores did not differ between those who had training and those who did not. The majority of teachers wanted more training (64.9%) and were willing to take a free course (78.4%) [7].…”

“…Despite the strong evidence that basic life support including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves survival rates after cardiac events, the awareness and training among citizens of Saudi Arabia is low [7]. Public awareness and knowledge on CPR was inadequate even among the younger population, and among parents with disabled children.…”