Top Things to Know: KIDS SAVE LIVES: Basic Life Support Education for Schoolchildren
Published: May 17, 2023
- Provide annual training in basic life support to all schoolchildren. One can even start in the kindergarten.
- Schoolchildren are highly motivated to learn basic life support.
- Focus on the key components of high-quality CPR: correct chest compression rate and depth, full chest recoil, minimizing chest compression interruptions, and calling for help.
- A combination of theoretical and practical training is recommended.
- Provide annual theoretical and practical refresher training for maintenance of knowledge and skills.
- Use technology-enhanced learning, social media tools, and virtual learning environments to engage, motivate, and educate schoolchildren in basic life support.
- Motivate schoolchildren to act as multipliers at home and in schools. Distribute take-home basic life support training kits.
- Train schoolteachers as basic life support instructors and include basic life support in the curriculum when training student teachers at universities.
- Establish a dedicated age based basic life support teaching curriculum at all schools.
- Advocate to legislate schoolchildren basic life support training as a graduation requirement at all levels of government
Citation
Schroeder DC, Semeraro F, Greif R, Bray J, Morley P, Parr M, Nakagawa NK, Iwami T, Finke S-R, Malta Hansen C, Lockey A, Del Rios M, Bhanji F, Sasson C, Schexnayder SM, Scquizzato T, Wetsch WA, Böttiger BW; on behalf of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. KIDS SAVE LIVES: basic life support education for schoolchildren: a narrative review and scientific statement from the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation [published online ahead of print May 17, 2023]. Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001128