Wasted Potential: Awareness of Basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the Sultanate of Oman- A Cross-Sectional National Survey

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is a critical step in the chain of survival in out-of-hospital emergencies. Community awareness and knowledge of CPR is essential in improving survival of out-of-hospital arrests. The knowledge of the Omani community about CPR has not been previously assessed. Aim: This study aims to assess the knowledge and awareness of people in the Sultanate of Oman about CPR skills. Methods: This is a cross sectional survey that was carried out in five cities in the Sultanate of Oman from March to May 2014. The survey tool gathered demographic data as well as information about training, knowledge and awareness of participants about CPR. The survey was distributed among 1500 participants. Results: A total of 873 surveys were completed in this study which equates to a 58.3% participation rate. 62.7% of respondents were able to correctly identify the two main components of CPR as being chest compression and ventilation. However, the study found that 54.8% of participants indicated that they do not know how to perform CPR. More worrying, 59.9% believed that CPR is not indicated in a situation where a child has chocked and became unconscious. Conclusion: This study demonstrated worrying figures that the knowledge of how and when to perform CPR within the Omani community is suboptimal. Awareness of CPR should be a national priority given the rising rates of road crashes and out of hospital emergencies in the country. National initiatives in order to educate the public about the importance of CPR as a life-saving skill are dearly needed.