School-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for
high school students in Brazil: a pre-post educational
intervention with 3-month follow-up

Felipe Batista Santos; Leonardo Santana Ramos Oliveira; Julio Cezar de Oliveira Filho; Fabricio Dias Antunes

doi:10.1016/j.bjane.2026.844787

Original Investigation

School-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for high school students in Brazil: a pre-post educational intervention with 3-month follow-up

Felipe Batista Santos, Leonardo Santana Ramos Oliveira, Julio Cezar de Oliveira Filho, Fabricio Dias Antunes

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjane.2026.844787 Braz J Anesthesiol, Ahead of Print, 2026

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Abstract

Background

Cardiac Arrest (CA) is considered a medical emergency and survival after CA is approximately 10%. Recognizing and providing effective intervention can have a significant impact on a patient's outcome.

Objective

To evaluate baseline knowledge of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the impact of a CPR training intervention to high school students in Aracaju, Sergipe.

Methods

This study was a pre–post educational intervention with 3-month follow-up involving 5 institutions that were chosen randomly from March to October 2023. The intervention was delivered in Portuguese, in four stages, aligned with the Kids Save Lives initiative: a pre-test was applied in 410 students before starting the course with questions regarding CPR and students’ expectations; a theoretical-practical course was taught; after the course, students answered a post-test, an evaluation and satisfaction questionnaire. Finally, three months later, 343 students answered the post-test.

Results

The primary outcome was mean total score on a validated 14-item BLS knowledge test. We observed an increase in scores after training from 5.8 (2.2) pre-test to 10.9 (2.0) three months after. Scores decreased significantly from the immediate post-test to the 3-month follow-up, with a mean difference of 0.9 points (95% CI 0.61 to 1.13; Cohen’s d = 0.354), but remained substantially higher than baseline. Self-perceived ability to perform CPR increased from 10.9% before training to 91% immediately after the course.

Conclusion

Teaching CPR in educational institutions can improve CPR knowledge retention at 3 months following the intervention, supporting the feasibility of integrating similar programs in Brazilian schools and alignment with the trend of Brazilian education policies.

Institutional Research Board approval

CAAE number: 57353622.0.0000.5546.

Keywords

Basic life support; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Health education; Heart arrest; Schools; Students

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Submitted date:
09/08/2025

Accepted date:
06/17/2026