Abstract
Objective: to compare the students' knowledge about the procedure of cardiorespiratory resuscitation, before and after an educational intervention. Methods: almost experimental study, sample for convenience, composed of high school students. To evaluate the theoretical knowledge about the execution of the emergency procedures in cardiac arrest, a questionnaire of 25 questions was applied, which evaluated the items: general knowledge, resuscitation sequence, breathing, compressions and use of the automatic external defibrillator. To evaluate the practical knowledge, a realistic simulation was performed, using a checklist composed of all stages of resuscitation. After these evaluations, participants received training from an educational intervention. Theoretical and practical evaluations were performed again for comparison purposes. Results: 51 students, with a mean age of 13 years, participated in both sexes. In the comparison of the theoretical evaluation, before and after the educational intervention, there was no significant difference in any of the 5 items analyzed. In the comparison of the practical evaluation, it was observed that the educational intervention had a significant influence on the average of correct steps in most of the items. Conclusion: it is suggested that the educational intervention on cardiorespiratory resuscitation has become effective and satisfactory for immediate and late retention of knowledge.