Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Assessment of Knowledge and Skills amongHealthcare Workers within Health Facilitiesin Sokoto Metropolis.

Abstract

Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a crucial life-saving intervention, aiming to restore circulation post-cardiac arrest. Proficiency in CPR demands rigorous training to optimize execution and is vital for healthcare providers. In Nigeria, a lack of comprehensive data on cardiopulmonary resuscitation proficiency among healthcare providers exists. Given the substantial impact of cardiac arrest on mortality rates, evaluating the cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills of health workers is thus paramount.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 280 diverse healthcare practitioners in Sokoto Metropolisusing a multistage sampling technique. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information on participants' sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge of CPR. The CPR skills of participants were assessed and graded using the Berden rating system. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 27. The chi-square and logistic regression were used appropriately, and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05 and the confidence interval at 95%.

Result: Among the 280 EHCWs, the majority were from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (59.6%), aged 20-39 (59.3%), predominantly female (66.8%), and held academic certificates or diplomas (69.5%). Notably, 69.6% of doctors demonstrated good cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge compared with 49.7% and 24.7% among nurses and Community Health Extension Workers respectively. The overall skill level was suboptimal (32.5%), with medical doctors exhibiting a higher average skill level (55.4%) compared to nurses (37.1%) and Community Health Extension Workers (5.5%). Significantly, participants' professions were associated with CPR knowledge, with an odds ratio of 7.955 (AOR= 7.955, 95% C. I= 2.757, 22.952, p < 0.001). Possession of Pediatric Basic Life Support certificates also correlated significantly with CPR knowledge, with an odds ratio of 0.005 (AOR= 0.005, 95% C. I= 0.001, 0.045, p< 0.001).

Conclusions: The study unveiled gaps in cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill development among health workers, accentuating deficiencies in primary and secondary healthcare facilities attributed to the lack of structured practical training and inconsistent staff development.