Retention of knowledge and skills in basic life support among medical students

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the theoretical knowledge and practical skills, and their retention, regarding Basic Life Support (BLS) in first-year medical students at a college in Recife, PE. Methods: Quantitative, analytical, and prospective study involving theoretical-practical questionnaires and practical simulations. Three measurements were taken at intervals of -1, 0, and 4 months, with T0 being the moment after the BLS class. The sample was obtained by convenience. For analysis, frequencies, means, and percentages with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were used, with a statistical significance level of <0.05. The study was approved by the institution's Ethics Committee (CEP) with CAAE 50685121.4.0000.5569 and opinion 4.934.326. Results: The study was divided into three phases, with “n” of 61 in the pre-test (M0), 31 (50.8% of the initial sample) in the immediate post-test (M1), and 18 (29.5% of the initial sample) in the delayed post-test (M2). Respectively at moments M0, M1, and M2, the mean theoretical scores were 32.6%, 59.8%, and 62.6%, and in the practical scores, 33.3%, 72.2%, and 65.1%. Conclusion: This study found a satisfactory immediate gain in knowledge and better retention compared to global literature, but only a minority of students met the American Heart Association's (AHA) minimum pass rate.