Basic life support skills: assessment and education of spouse and first degree relatives of patients with coronary disease

ABSTRACT

To assess the knowledge of basic cardiac life support [BCLS] before and after the institution of training among first degree relatives and spouses of patients with coronary disease. Quasi-experimental study. National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, from April 2007 to May 2008. A total of 300 relatives of patients with coronary heart disease undertook a one day CPR course. Questionnaire assessing knowledge of CPR was administered before and after the course. Patients were studied in groups of 10-20 at a time. Proportion of correct knowledge was compared using chi-square test with significance at p < 0.05. Mean age of participants was 31.08 +/- 10.53 years. Two hundred and twenty [73.34%] were males. On the average of all 31 questions, 37.09% of participants had correct responses before the training and 68.16% after the training of BCLS [p < 0.001]. There was statistically significant improvement across all age groups, gender and educational levels [p < 0.01]. There was significant improvement in relatives' knowledge of BCLS after training. Different age groups, both genders and all educational groups shoed equal learning abilities