A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF CPR AWARENESS IN MECCA PROVINCE.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important component in rescuing patient with cardiac arrest. It aims to preserve brain function, which can be lifesaving and may increase the rate of survival two to three times comparing to those who did not receive CPR. Based on WHO statistics in 2006, 80% of cardiac arrests occur at home and most of arrested patients died before reaching the hospital. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the field of CPR education that leads to increase in surviving for patient with CPR training worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, the ministry of health ordered all hospitals to have a center for CPR training. In addition,the M.O.H. recently started to require that all medical personnel working during the pilgrimage season must be holders of a valid certificate in CPR. However, Non-medical personnel are rarely trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, many people who die in the community either suddenly or expectedly are not brought to a hospital for resuscitation. In this study, we will determine the level of awareness of CPR in Mecca Province and the quality of response to arrested cases in the community. A cross sectional study has been conducted among 562 of Mecca province residents. The study assessed their knowledge in CPR and the response to arrested cases. For those who had CPR training before, the study evaluated their recent knowledge and expected response. The study offers a good opportunity to measure the recent CPR awareness level of Mecca residents and direct future efforts for the demand of health educational opportunities dedicated to the community.