Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Evaluate a pilot program designed to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to schoolchildren in Chile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An educational pilot program consisting of a workshop for seventh-graders, including pre-workshop and post-workshop evaluations, was implemented in five public schools in the Metropolitana and Magallanes regions of Chile. RESULTS: A total of 379 seventh-graders enrolled in the first 19 months of the pilot program and who consented to data analysis were included. In the pre-workshop evaluation, only 58.7% knew the right number to call for an ambulance; this increased to 99.5% at the end of the workshop. In the initial evaluation, 58.7% stated that chest compressions should be initiated in an unresponsive person who is not breathing normally, and only 14.8% stated that the proper rate of chest compressions for CPR is 100 to 120 per minute. After the workshop, these percentages increased to 77.6% and 76.5%, respectively. Overall, 98% of participants reported that they had found the workshop useful, and 97% said they had enjoyed participating. After the workshop, 87% stated that they would intervene if faced with one of these emergencies. In a survey of parents or guardians, 93% stated that CPR classes should be mandatory in schools. CONCLUSIONS: The structured plan pilot-tested in this study can be used to teach resuscitation to schoolchildren in Chile, with good theoretical results and excellent feedback from participants.