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. 2023 Jul 11;11(1):e47.
doi: 10.22037/aaem.v11i1.1975. eCollection 2023.

Basic Life Support (BLS) Knowledge Among General Population; a Multinational Study in Nine Arab Countries

Nour Shaheen  1 , Ahmed Shaheen  1 , Rehab Adel Diab  2   3 , Abdelrahman Mohmmed  1 , Abdelraouf Ramadan  4 , Sarya Swed  5 , Muhannad Wael  6 , Mrinmoy Kundu  7 , Sama Soliman  8 , Mohamed Elmasry  1 , Sheikh Shoib  9   10   11   12
Affiliations

Basic Life Support (BLS) Knowledge Among General Population; a Multinational Study in Nine Arab Countries

Nour Shaheen et al. Arch Acad Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Introduction: Basic Life Support (BLS) is a medical treatment used in life-threatening emergencies until the sufferer can be properly cared for by a team of paramedics or in a hospital. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding BLS and the contributing factors among the Arab non-medical population.

Methods: An online survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted among non-medical populations in nine Arab countries between April 13, 2022, and June 30, 2022. The utilized questionnaire consisted of two parts: part one included socio-demographic characteristics and part two measured knowledge of BLS through an online survey.

Results: The research included a total of 4465 participants. 2540 (56.89%) of the participants were knowledgeable about BLS. The mean basic life support knowledge scores of participants who received training were higher than those who had not (20.11 ± 4.20 vs. 16.96 ± 5.27; p< 0.01). According to the nations, Yemen scored the highest, while Morocco had the lowest levels of BLS knowledge (19.86 ± 4.71 vs. 14.15 ± 5.10, respectively; p< 0.01). Additionally, individuals who resided in urban areas scored on average higher than those who did in rural areas (17.86 ± 5.19 vs. 17.13 ± 5.24, p= 0.032) in understanding basic life support. Age, information sources, and previous training with theoretical and practical classes were significant predictors of BLS knowledge.

Conclusion: The level of BLS knowledge among non-medical people in Arab nations is moderate but insufficient to handle the urgent crises that we face everywhere. In addition to physicians being required to learn the BLS principles, non-medical people should also be knowledgeable of the necessary actions to take in emergency events.

Keywords: Awareness; basic life support; cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Point-plots of association between age groups and score in the study taking into account whether the participant received training in (A) and faced an emergency requiring BLS or not (B).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Countries of people who had sufficient knowledge of basic life support among studied Arab countries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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