Awareness of basic life support among Saudi dental students and interns

OBJECTIVE: Fatal medical emergencies may occur at any time in the dental clinic. The present study assessed the level of awareness and attitudes toward basic life support (BLS) among Saudi dental students and interns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire comprising 23 closed-ended questions was used in this survey. The first part of the questionnaire assessed the demographical profile of the students such as age, gender, and educational level. The second part investigated their knowledge and awareness about BLS. Data from 203 respondents were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Studies version 22.0. RESULTS: The response rate was 81.2%. Overall, the respondents showed a low level of knowledge with significant differences between males and females (<0.001). Surprisingly, final-year dental students showed relatively better knowledge than interns though the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates poor knowledge among dental students regarding BLS and showed the urgent need for continuous refreshing courses for this critical topic.