Background: Delay in accessing appropriate medical care and/or lack of knowledge regarding treatment results in the death of the injured which can be avoided by immediate resuscitation measures. First aid, as the name implies, is the first care given to a victim of an accident, injury, or sudden illness, before the provision of advanced medical care. First aid should be aimed to preserve life, promote recovery, and prevent worsening of the victims condition.
Objectives: The present study was aimed to assess the knowledge of school students regarding first-aid management and to evaluate the effectiveness of education on selected first-aid measures among school students.
Materials and Methods: A total of 95 students of 6th, 7th, and 8th standard students were given a self‑administered questionnaire for assessing their baseline knowledge about management of common injuries followed by educational intervention. Post-intervention evaluation of their knowledge acquisition was done after 10 days with the same questionnaire.
Results: The objective of providing knowledge was accomplished with maximum students retaining knowledge shown as per the percentage increase in post-test scores. The maximum increase was seen in epistaxis (65.26%), head injury (44.21%), choking (42.11%), snakebite (52.94%), and dog bite (42.11%) which signifies less number of students had knowledge about these first-aid measures. Paired t-test showed a statistically significant difference in the pre- and post-education scores.
Conclusion: Inculcating first‑aid training in the school curriculum can be a fruitful investment in ensuring proper and timely management of illnesses and injuries.
Key words: First Aid; Epistaxis; Resuscitation
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