Residents' resuscitation training and theoretical knowledge in a Greek General Hospital

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to assess the resuscitation training and knowledge status of medical and surgical residents (SRs). A questionnaire of 23 questions was answered by medical and SRs in an Athens General Hospital. The questionnaire was designed based on the 2005 resuscitation guidelines. The questionnaire was answered by 137 residents (53.3% medical and 46.7% surgical). With regard to the knowledge questions, the mean score, on a maximum scale of 10, was 5.39±1.93 for the medical residents and 5.27±2.33 for the SRs. Their resuscitation knowledge was positively influenced by their attendance of Basic Life Support (P=0.005) and Advanced Life Support/Advanced Cardiac Life Support courses (P=0.013). Residents in this tertiary general hospital in Athens had inadequate knowledge of resuscitation guidelines and the majority of them were not currently certified in any of these courses.