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PubMed1997

Nurses' knowledge of pain assessment and management: how much progress have we made?

Undertreatment of pain and lack of knowledge about pain management have been evident for approximately two decades. Because nurses are often the cornerstone of pain management, nurses' knowledge in this area is especially important. This paper explores indications of progress in the level of nursing knowledge about basic aspects of pain management. The literature is reviewed and findings from recent (1995) surveys of nurses' knowledge are compared with results of similar surveys conducted beginning in 1988. Improvements in nurses' knowledge of pain assessment, opioid dosing, and likelihood of addiction seem to have occurred. However, knowledge deficits continue. Fewer than one-half of the nurses surveyed understand that the patient's self report of pain is the single most reliable indicator of pain and that the nurse should increase a previously safe but ineffective dose of opioid. Findings from surveys on addiction reveal that the longer the patient receives opioids the more concerned nurses become about causing addiction. Nevertheless, results of current knowledge surveys of nurses suggest that educational efforts probably have been beneficial and should continue. To maximize the impact of educational efforts, content in basic and continuing education courses should be prioritized and critically evaluated for relevance and accuracy, especially content related to addiction. Early in the education of nurses, responsibility for pain assessment and use of analgesics must be instilled.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1998

Management of pain in terminally ill patients: physician reports of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

Physician knowledge, attitudes, and reported prescribing behaviors toward pain management in terminally ill patients was surveyed among primary care physicians (PCPs) and oncologists in a southern urban county. Response rates were 64% for PCPs and 100% for oncologists. The effects of knowledge and attitudes on reported behavior were analyzed after accounting for physician demographics, training, and experiences. Oncologists' knowledge and attitudes were close to ideal and behaviors less so. PCPs' knowledge was worse than oncologists, and attitudes and behaviors were even less optimal. Reported behaviors among PCPs correlated somewhat with attitudes, less with background factors, and rarely with knowledge. In multivariate analysis, demographic and experimental factors explained more of selected behaviors than attitudes or knowledge. However, all variables combined left the majority of variation in behaviors unexplained. Physician continuing education will not effect significant behavioral changes in the care of terminally ill patients solely by the traditional approach of attempting to modify knowledge and attitudes.

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice↗
PubMed2002

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward skin cancer in Maryland youths.

PURPOSE: To describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 7th-graders in Maryland with respect to sun protection and skin cancer. METHODS: Maryland middle school students ages 10 to 16 years (55% girls, estimated 67% white) from 6 counties completed an in-school questionnaire (n = 2,775) developed by the Coalition for Skin Cancer Prevention in Maryland in 1999 to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors concerning sun exposure and skin cancer. To evaluate for gender and age differences, mean knowledge and attitude scores were compared using Student's t-tests and the prevalence of behaviors were compared using Chi-square tests. Multiple regression was used to model how age, gender, knowledge, and attitudes predicted the likelihood of being sunburned the previous summer. RESULTS: On average, these youths correctly answered 65% of 13 true/false items and 43% of 7 multiple choice items. Approximately one-third (32%) felt a tan looked healthy and 51% felt a tan looked attractive; on the other hand, 36% agreed/strongly agreed that sun protection was "cool." Attitudes toward skin protection became less favorable with age (p-for-trend < .001). When out in the sun the previous summer, 37% rarely or never used sunscreen and 43% never wore a hat. The prevalence of two or more painful sunburns during the past summer was 30%. Less favorable attitudes toward skin protection were associated with a higher likelihood of sunburn (p < .001). The likelihood of sunburn did not differ by gender, even though when compared with boys, girls had significantly higher knowledge scores (p < .01), more favorable attitudes (p < .001), and were significantly more likely to report using sunscreen (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of youths were not protecting themselves adequately from sunlight. The overall low levels of knowledge accentuate the need to incorporate basic knowledge of skin cancer and sun protective behaviors in preventive interventions designed for this population. The results particularly emphasize the need to positively impact attitudes toward sun protective behavior early in life to help curb the epidemic of skin cancer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Hepatitis B vaccination in adolescents: knowledge, perceived risk, and compliance.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate adolescents' and parents' knowledge of hepatitis B, perceived risk of hepatitis B, and compliance with a three-dose vaccine series. METHODS: Two hundred adolescents were recruited into the study. Participants completed a questionnaire that examined hepatitis knowledge, sexual activity, contraceptive use, and perceived risk of acquiring hepatitis B infection at enrollment and the final 8-month follow-up visit. They also had blood drawn for determination of hepatitis B serology at these visits. Their parents completed a questionnaire at enrollment. RESULTS: A total of 174 (87%) participants completed the study. Adolescents initially had very little knowledge about hepatitis but did have significant improvement in their knowledge scores at the 8-month follow-up. Their parents were more knowledgable. Most teens perceived their risk of acquiring the hepatitis B infection as slight or none. Their perceptions of their risk of acquiring hepatitis B were not associated with sexual activity, contraceptive choices, or number of sexual partners. In contrast, the parents' perceptions of their teens' risk of acquiring hepatitis B were associated with the teens' sexual activity, contraceptive choices, and number of sexual partners. CONCLUSIONS: The adolescents studied had little knowledge about hepatitis or their personal risk. In contrast, the adolescents' parents were more knowledgable about hepatitis. The more informed the parent, the less sexual risk-taking behaviors the adolescent reported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Patient knowledge of immunotherapy before and after an educational intervention: a comparison of 2 methods.

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy is an invaluable therapy for allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, and hymenoptera hypersensitivity. It is, however, not without risks. OBJECTIVES: To examine patient knowledge regarding immunotherapy and to determine the most effective educational method to improve their knowledge by answering the following questions: Before educational intervention, what is the current knowledge level regarding allergy vaccinations of patients receiving immunotherapy? What effect does an educational encounter have on that level of knowledge? Which educational intervention--a one-on-one session vs a handout--if either, increases patient knowledge more? METHODS: An original, self-administered patient questionnaire was distributed to all patients receiving immunotherapy. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group, an intervention group that received an educational handout monthly for 2 months, or an intervention group that had a one-on-one educational session with a physician or nurse practitioner. After 3 months, all patients completed an identical follow-up questionnaire. Pretest and posttest scores were compared for each group and among the different groups to determine which method was more effective. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of instruction type on differences in pretest and posttest scores. RESULTS: All 3 groups significantly improved their mean overall questionnaire scores (P < .001). The amount of change was greater in the intervention groups than in the control group, but it did not reach statistical significance (P = .59). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline immunotherapy knowledge of allergy vaccination patients was better than expected, and further educational interventions did not significantly improve this knowledge.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMed2002

Does introduction of new "easy to use" inhalational devices improve medical personnel's knowledge of their proper use?

BACKGROUND: Lack of basic inhaler skills by medical personnel has been documented by numerous studies. Consequently, training of patients in correct inhalational technique suffers. Newer dry powder inhalers such as Turbuhaler (budesonide, Astra USA, Westborough, MA) and Diskus (salmeterol, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC) have some advantages over conventional metereddose inhalers (MDIs) including easier technique of usage. They have been recently marketed with the hope of overcoming this problem. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether introduction of newer "easy to use" dry powder inhalers such as budesonide (Turbuhaler) and salmeterol (Diskus) would result in improvement in medical personnel's knowledge of their proper use. METHODS: In and around a community-based teaching hospital, interviews were conducted in March 2000 of 50 assorted randomly selected medical personnel. They included 10 respiratory therapists, 10 registered nurses, 10 medical residents, 10 primary care physicians, and 10 pharmacists. Objective evaluation was made of their skills demonstration and knowledge scores for usage of MDIs, budesonide, and salmeterol. RESULTS: Mean percentage demonstration scores of different medical personnel for all three devices taken together: respiratory therapist (81.6%), primary care physicians (77.7%), pharmacists (57.7%), registered nurses (54.4%), and medical residents (53.8%). Mean percentage demonstration scores of different inhalers for all medical personnel taken together: MDI (80.9%), salmeterol (64.2%), budesonide (49.9%). Mean percentage knowledge score of all three inhalational devices taken together for respiratory therapist was the best at 76.6%. Registered nurses performed the worst with a score of 52.0%. Mean percentage knowledge scores: MDI (78%), salmeterol (63.2%), and budesonide (52.4%). A repeated measures two-way analysis of variance demonstrated that differences in both demonstration and knowledge scores between inhaler types and between medical personnel were all highly statistically significant (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Demonstration skills and knowledge scores for use of both budedsonide and salmeterol were substantially lower than that for MDI for all medical personnel. Medical personnel responsible for teaching the correct use of inhalational devices are lacking in basic knowledge and user skills. This likely contributes to patient's poor technique when using these devices.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Assessment of practice competence and scientific knowledge of ICU nurses in the tracheal suctioning].

Tracheal suctioning is essential to maintain permeability of the artificial airway. This procedure may be associated to risks for the patients. Thus, it is very important to know if the nurses perform it correctly and if the practice is based on scientific evidence. This investigations objectives are: evaluate practical competence of the nurses, as well as the scientific knowledge that they have on this procedures in a Polyvalent Intensive Care Unit and analyze if there are discrepancies between the practice competence and scientific knowledge. This descriptive study, performed in 34 nurses, analyzed the performance of tracheal suctioning by direct observation, using the data collection of a structured grid that included 19 aspects to evaluate, grouped into 6 categories. In the same way, knowledge on the procedure was analyzed, using a 19-item self-administered questionnaire, also grouped into 6 categories, which evaluated the same aspects observed. The total mean score obtained in the practice observation grid (P) was 12.09 for a maximum score of 19, while it was 14.24 in the knowledge questionnaire (Q). When analyzed by categories, discrepancies were obtained in the following aspects: in the need for hand washing prior to suctioning (P = 55.9%; Q = 97.1%), in cleaning of the suction catheter after each suctioning during the procedure (P = 0%; Q = 38.2%), in the correct performance of hyperoxygenation and hyperinsuflation, before, during and after the procedure (P = 11.8%; Q = 941%), in the correct selection of the size suction catheter in relationship with endotracheal tubes internal lumen (P = 0%; Q = 52.9%), in the maximum time the catheter remains in the trachea (P = 100%; Q = 23.5%), in the maximum number of times that the catheter should be introduced in each suctioning (P = 100%; Q = 73.5%) and in the non-instillation of saline solution (P = 29.4%; Q = 58.8%). When the total scores obtained were compared, both in practice and knowledge, with the years of experience in ICU, no statistically significant differences were found. It is concluded that the study nurses have scientific knowledge of the suctioning procedure that are better than their practice competence. Discrepancies between practice and knowledge were also found in several of the aspects evaluated, which orients towards the specific needs of training in this procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Validation of an asthma knowledge questionnaire for use in parents or guardians of children with asthma].

OBJECTIVE: Interventions to increase asthma knowledge enable children and/or their parents to acquire skills needed for the prevention and/or appropriate management of crises. Periods of illness caused by the disease can thereby be reduced. However, no validated instrument for quantifying knowledge of asthma is available in Spanish. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate an asthma knowledge questionnaire that could be self-administered by parents and/or persons charged with caring for asthmatic children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 17 items that make up the questionnaire were obtained on the basis of a review of the literature, focus group discussions, the professional experience of the researchers, and pilot studies. We evaluated the instrument's face, content, and concurrent validity and analyzed its factorial structure. The test-retest reliability of the questionnaire and its sensitivity to change were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 120 pediatric patients with a mean (SD) age of 4.5 (3.7) years participated. Factor analysis demonstrated a probable structure of 3 factors that together explained 85% of the total variance in results. The opinion of an interdisciplinary group of experts on asthma confirmed the face validity of the instrument. The questionnaire's ability to distinguish between parents with high and low asthma knowledge demonstrated its concurrent validity. Test-retest reliability was demonstrated, as was sensitivity to change between 2 different testing moments. CONCLUSIONS: The asthma knowledge questionnaire developed is useful and reliable for quantifying the baseline level of asthma knowledge of parents of asthmatic children as well as to assess the efficacy of an educational intervention aiming to increase knowledge and understanding of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Sexual behavior and AIDS-related knowledge among community college students in Orange County, California.

Whereas college students are not identified as a high-risk group for acquiring the HIV infection, they exhibit high-risk behaviors consistent with their age group, including multiple sexual partners and high rates of unprotected intercourse. This study was conducted to determine levels of HIV-related sexual behavior, along with knowledge and attitudes among students attending community colleges in a relatively affluent multiethnic community. This study used a random sample survey (N = 319) of students attending selected classes at four community colleges in Orange County, California, to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and patterns of past and present sexual behavior. The level of student knowledge concerning HIV disease was found to be relatively high, and pronounced differences in knowledge and sexual permissiveness were identified as a function of ethnicity and religion, with Asians showing lower knowledge and lower concern about HIV, and religion/religiosity related to these variables and also to levels of sexual permissiveness. Respondents' comfort in asking a partner about his/her sexual history was positively associated with their level of self-esteem, and negatively related to peer pressure in this population. As in previous studies of college populations, HIV knowledge per se does not confer a protective effect against high-risk behavior. However, knowledge was found to be an enabling factor with regard to students' comfort levels in asking about their partner's sexual histories, and in requesting that partners take an AIDS test.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2001

Knowledge about breast cancer risk factors and hereditary breast cancer among early-onset breast cancer survivors.

Little is known about knowledge levels regarding hereditary breast cancer among breast cancer survivors. This study explored, among women with early-onset breast cancer (<50 years): 1) knowledge regarding breast cancer risk factors and hereditary breast cancer; and 2) differences in knowledge based on risk for hereditary disease. Participants recruited from 34 Virginia hospitals responded to two questionnaires. The Family History Questionnaire assessed risk for hereditary breast cancer. The Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Questionnaire evaluated knowledge of general breast cancer risk factors and hereditary breast cancer. Of 314 respondents, 273 (87%) returned both questionnaires. A total of 137 (52%) participants met the study's criteria for hereditary breast cancer risk. Most participants knew common breast cancer-associated risk factors, including family history of breast cancer. Only 35% recognized family history of non-breast malignancies as a risk factor for breast cancer. Most participants recognized that prophylactic mastectomy does not eliminate breast cancer risk (63%), that not all women carrying a mutation develop disease (73%), and that men can develop breast cancer (96%). The majority selected 'I don't know' for knowledge of several characteristics of hereditary breast cancer, including: early-onset disease (54%); multifocal or bilateral disease (62%); risk transmission through fathers (58%); association with other cancer types (61%); and male breast cancer (70%). Knowledge regarding hereditary breast cancer did not vary between women with suspected hereditary disease and those with presumed sporadic disease. These data highlight the need for information regarding hereditary breast cancer for early-onset breast cancer survivors.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed2000

Expert and non-expert knowledge in medical practice.

One problematic aspect of the rationality of medical practice concerns the relation between expert knowledge and non-expert knowledge. In medical practice it is important to match medical knowledge with the self-knowledge of the individual patient. This paper tries to study the problem of such matching by describing a model for technological paradigms and comparing it with an ideal of technological rationality. The professionalised experts tend to base their decisions and actions mostly on medical knowledge while the rationality of medicine also involves just as important elements of the personal evaluation and knowledge of the patients. Since both types of knowledge are necessary for rational decisions, the gap between the expert and the non-expert has to be bridged in some way. A solution to the problem is suggested in terms of pluralism, with the patient as ultimate decision-maker.

Biomedical Technology↗
PubMed1999

The locus of adult intelligence: knowledge, abilities, and nonability traits.

Some intelligence theorists (e.g., R. B. Cattell, 1943; D. O. Hebb, 1942) have suggested that knowledge is one aspect of human intelligence that is well preserved or increases during adult development. Very little is known about knowledge structures across different domains or about how individual differences in knowledge relate to other traits. Twenty academic and technology-oriented tests were administered to 135 middle-aged adults. In comparison with younger college students, the middle-aged adults knew more about nearly all of the various knowledge domains. Knowledge was partly predicted by general intelligence, by crystallized abilities, and by personality, interest, and self-concept. Implications of this work are discussed in the context of a developmental theory that focuses on the acquisition and maintenance of intelligence-as-knowledge, as well as the role of knowledge for predicting the vocational and avocational task performance of adults.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Validation of a brief, reliable scale to measure knowledge about the health risks associated with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Obesity represents a serious threat to health through its association with conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and certain types of cancer. Knowledge regarding risk to health is an important determinant of behaviour and is the focus of many health education strategies. To the authors' knowledge, there is no valid and reliable measure of knowledge regarding the health risks associated with obesity. AIM: To validate a short, reliable psychometric scale measuring knowledge regarding the effects of obesity on health, the Obesity Risk Knowledge (ORK-10) scale. METHODS: The ORK-10 scale was administered to a sample of individuals with no specific obesity-related expertise (n=230) and a sample of experts (n=200). Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to investigate the scale's criterion validity. RESULTS: The ORK-10 scale has good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient>0.7) and is acceptable for use in a UK adult population with an estimated reading age of 12-13 years. The scale demonstrated strong criterion validity, as those with educational or vocational expertise in the field of obesity achieved significantly higher scores than nonexperts (median 9.0 vs 4.0, Z=-17.364; P<0.001). This relationship was maintained after controlling for the potentially confounding factors of age and level of education. Nonexperts demonstrated low levels of knowledge regarding the health risks associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The ORK-10 scale meets standard psychometric criteria for reliability and validity. This scale could be used to assess the effectiveness of health education interventions, to target the provision of health information and to investigate the interaction between knowledge and obesity-related behaviour.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Americans' knowledge and perceived risk of tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) has resurged as a major public health problem in the United States, but there is minimal information on the public's knowledge of TB. The general population must become aware of the seriousness of the reemergence of TB. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey Supplement, this study examined knowledge and perceived risk of TB of 14,727 U.S. respondents. Results demonstrated some general knowledge of TB, several misconceptions, and low concern regarding their risk of contracting TB. Only 10.2% of the respondents perceived risk for themselves. Respondents reported perceived knowledge of TB at a high level, while their actual knowledge was lower. Gender, education, income, and ethnicity were associated with knowledge and perceived risk. Older people responded correctly to questions about TB knowledge more often than younger people. Conclusions were that public health nursing efforts need to be redirected toward health education regarding TB risk and spread, complementing existing screening and therapy programs.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

German nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes to HIV and AIDS: two decades after the first AIDS cases.

German nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes to HIV and AIDS: two decades after the first AIDS case This study describes German nursing students' (n=180) knowledge and attitudes relating to HIV/AIDS, their homophobia level, willingness to care for people with AIDS, and their approach to possible sexual risk behaviours. A questionnaire was used to collect the data (response rate 97.8%). The results indicated that the nursing students had a rather high knowledge level concerning AIDS. However, there were gaps of knowledge, such as regarding AIDS immunopathology or the symptoms of the disease. Single nursing students and those having cared for a person with AIDS had a more thorough knowledge about the disease. In general, the attitudes towards AIDS and people with AIDS were tolerant and positive, and homophobia was only found with a small minority. Students having positive attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS had less homophobia compared to those having negative attitudes towards persons suffering from AIDS. Those with positive attitudes were more willing to care for patients with HIV/AIDS, while those with a high homophobia level were less willing to do so. In addition, students having a high AIDS knowledge level tended less towards negative attitudes and homophobia than those with a low level of knowledge. The implications of the research for nursing education will be discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

An archaeology of caring knowledge.

BACKGROUND: There have been repeated attempts, especially during the last 20 years, to say precisely what caring in nursing is. Authors who undertake this task usually begin with the observation that the concept of caring is complex and elusive, and suggest that their contribution will help to clarify this most confused of notions. However, they are always followed by other authors, who do exactly the same thing. We seem to be no closer, now, to a clarification of caring than we have ever been. AIM: The paper offers a diagnosis of this situation, and explains why the project of retrieving caring from its elusiveness is an impossible one. I will suggest that this has nothing to do with the concept of caring, as such. Rather, the impossibility of the task follows from what these authors take to be knowledge of caring. METHOD: I present an analysis of some presuppositions about what knowledge is. These presuppositions pervade the literature on caring, and can be summarized as follows: knowledge of caring is an aggregate of things said about it, derived from a potentially endless series of associations, grouped into attributes on the basis of resemblances, and conceived as a holistic description of the phenomenon. Further, I suggest that this analysis is akin to the one which Foucault offers of sixteenth century knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis suggests that this way of knowing is approximately 350 years out of date, and explains why the task of arriving at knowledge (in this sense) is impossible. Moreover, Foucault's claim that sixteenth century knowledge is "plethoric yet absolutely poverty-stricken" applies, with equal force, to nursing's knowledge of caring.

Cultural Characteristics↗
PubMed2001

Knowledge and practices regarding tuberculosis: a survey of final-year medical students from Canada, India and Uganda.

CONTEXT: Tuberculosis is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide and is responsible for the largest number of deaths from a single infectious cause. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the knowledge of and practices regarding tuberculosis in final-year medical students at schools from endemic and non-endemic areas. SUBJECTS: Final-year medical students at McMaster University in Canada, the Christian Medical College in India, and Makerere University in Uganda. METHODS: A questionnaire consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions assessing knowledge, practices, and exposure. A total knowledge score (maximum=13) and a total practice score (maximum=5) were created for each study site. RESULTS: 160 questionnaires were returned; the response rate was 68.4% (65/95) for McMaster University, 39.7% (23/58) for the Christian Medical College and 78.3% (72/92) for Makerere University. Students from Makerere University had the highest knowledge scores but differences were non-significant after adjustment for patient exposure and curriculum time (F(2,153)= 1.80, P=0.16). Differences in practice scores, however, remained significant after adjusting for curriculum time and patient exposure (F(2,153)=5.14, P=0.006). Knowledge score (F(1,156)=5.05, P=0.02), patient exposure (F(1,153)=9.11, P=0.003), and curriculum time and patient exposure (F(2,153)=5.14, P=0.006) were statistically significant positive predictors of the total practice score. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated significant differences in undergraduate exposure to tuberculosis, total knowledge, and practice competency at three medical schools in Canada, India, and Uganda. In general, the knowledge base and practice competency of all three graduating classes was adequate.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2002

Improvement in resuscitation knowledge after a one-day paediatric life-support course.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a one-day paediatric life-support course on the knowledge of paediatric trainees. METHODS: A telephone survey was performed prior to and at set intervals following the course. Responses to individual questions before and after the course were analysed and an overall test score was calculated. The acquisition and retention of knowledge was measured by comparing test scores for the same group of trainees at time intervals after the course. RESULTS: All candidates were surveyed. The median duration of paediatric training prior to the course was 3 years. Eighteen candidates (78%) had previously intubated a child and 13 (57%) had previously used an intraosseous needle. Prior to the course, few of the 23 candidates had adequate knowledge of either the management of the cervical spine in the seriously injured child (17%), fluid resuscitation in meningococcal septicemia (52%), shock dose in ventricular fibrillation (61%), or the management of anaphylactic shock (35%). There was a significant improvement in the knowledge of the group after the course, with median test scores increasing from 19 to a maximum of 22 (P < 0.001). This knowledge was retained at 4 months after the course. CONCLUSION: Despite a high level of experience and previous training in paediatric resuscitation, many candidates lacked the basic knowledge necessary for the resuscitation of seriously ill or injured children. There was a significant improvement in this knowledge after the course, and this was maintained for 4 months. The paediatric life-support course is an important means of resuscitation training for junior doctors.

Australia↗