ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Basic life support (BLS) training rates vary widely worldwide, and there is a general scarcity of surveys that assess students' knowledge and awareness of BLS in middle eastern nations. This study aims to evaluate medical students' knowledge and awareness towards basic life support. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, using an online web-based questionnaire, assessing BLS awareness and knowledge, was conducted from 3 to 30 November 2021. The study included 2114 medical students from Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic baseline characteristics, knowledge about BLS, and ability to apply basic life support. A binominal logistic regression was done between the total score and other demographic characteristics to determine if we could predict the research sample's appropriate knowledge of BLS level. RESULTS: There was a moderate knowledge of BLS and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills among participating students with an average score of 19.67 (0-34). Seventy-eight of the participants (1656) stated that they have not attended a basic life support course. There was a significant difference between the participants from different countries, where the mean score in Syria, Jordan, and Iraq was 18.3, 24.3, and 18.8, respectively (p < 0.05). Considering the level of knowledge, 18.3%, 72.8%, and 8.9% of the participants had a high, intermediate, and low level, respectively. Furthermore, students who took a BLS course had a higher level of knowledge than those who did not, with an odds ratio of 5.168 (p value < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The overall knowledge of medical students' basic life support knowledge is insufficient and need to be greatly improved. According to this study, previous participation in basic life support training had a positive effect on knowledge level. As a result, universities must establish basic life support programs as quickly as possible.
ABSTRACT
Ambient air pollution is a major risk to the human health and to the environment. The data presented quantifies the (PM10) contribution of the Zouk Mikael power plant to the ambient air pollution in Lebanon for the year 2014. The data is the outcome of a computer simulation using The Air Pollution Model (TAPM), taking into account the emission source data, the spatio-temporal meteorological conditions, the terrain height, and the land cover characteristics. The data set presents the annual, seasonal and monthly averages of the spatial distribution of the ground-level particulate (PM10) concentrations in the ambient air. The data set also includes spatial distribution of the maximum concentrations, which revealed two zones of elevated concentrations. Monthly averages and maximum concentrations in these two zones are also reported. Analysis of the data can provide information on the health risk the residents in the affected areas are subjected to. The data can also provide insight on the impact of the meteorological conditions (temperature and velocity) and the topography on pollutant dispersion in regions bounded by the sea and by a mountain range.
