INFLUENCE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL STUDENTS TRAINING ON PREPAREDNESS TO PERFORM PAEDIATRIC LIFE SUPPORT

Abstract

Aim: Assessment of the increase in knowledge in specific categories among students of the last-year emergency medical students after 45-hour training in advanced paediatric life support. Comparison of the impact of participation in the project and the ILS course on the increase of knowledge in the field of advanced life support in children. Material and methods: 138 third-year emergency medical students of the University of Rzeszów were studied. A proprietary questionnaire on paediatric life support was conducted before and after completing a 45-hour training on emergency medical services in children (pretest/posttest). Results: The mean percentage of subjects’ correct answers in the post-test was slightly over 60 which was statistically significantly higher compared to the pre-test, t(276)=6.54; p<0.001. The highest percentage of correct answers concerned paediatric basic life support and AED (M=77.78; SD=12.47), while the lowest – cardiac arrest in children in special situations (M=60.54; SD=21.06). No statistically significant relationship was found between the percentage of correct answers in the pre-test/post-test and the respondents’ age, gender and participation in a competence development project (p>0.05). Conclusions: The knowledge of paediatric life support among the third year emergency medical students is good. The students of subsequent years and individuals reading the literature and participating in the competence development project are better prepared to perform life support procedures in newborns and infants. From year to year, students gain less knowledge from medical literature and have the least knowledge on cardiac arrest in children in special circumstances.