Baseline Knowledge and Change in Confidence after Learning First Aid from Emergency Physicians: A Pre-Post Interventional Study of 2462 High School Junior Red Cross Cadets.

Background: Public awareness of the importance of first aid (FA) significantly impacts patient care. Even though it is understood that FA awareness and training should be made universal, it is often debated whether FA education should be made compulsory among school students.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the baseline understanding of select FA measures among school students.

Materials and methods: A total of 2462 students were given a self-administered questionnaire to assess their baseline knowledge on managing common injuries, followed by a 3-h interactive lecture on FA. Postintervention evaluation was done with the same questionnaire analyzing their change in knowledge and confidence.

Results: Nearly three-quarters (n = 1798, 73%) of the students had never attended a FA course. Eighty percent knew how to manage a cut injury properly, but only a minority answered correctly when asked about the first step to aid an individual in case of a seizure (n = 233, 9.5%), burns (n = 366, 14.9%), or snakebite (n = 852, 34.6%). The mean knowledge score for the students (n = 2355) improved from 3.91 ± 1.4 to 6.65 ± 1.9 after the course. A statistically significant improvement (P < 0.001) in confidence was also noted after the lecture.

Conclusion: FA training for high school students would not only enhance their confidence and awareness about FA management but may also act as a bridge to improving basic care measures at the community level.