Impact of the Forgetting Curve on Cognitive Skills in Basic Life Support Impacto de la Curva del Olvido en las Competencias Cognitivas en Soporte Vital

Abstract

In Spain, 24,000 cardiorespiratory arrests (CRA) occur annually, most of them occur in extra-hospital situations. Bystanders are present in some 70% of cases, but cardiopulmonary resuscitation is initiated in fewer than 30%. Objective: In the context of a basic life support (BLS) training program in secondary schools, to analyze cognitive skills acquisition and the shape of the forgetting curve according to age, gender, and school location. Materials and method: Six secondary educations schools in Granada (Spain) were selected randomly. Students took a multiple-choice test (including six key questions on the basic concepts of BLS) before, immediately after BLS training, and six months later. Results: Four hundred and twenty students out of an initial sample of 459 completed the program and follow-up. Cognitive skills acquisition was found to be good. Based on six key questions, the skills acquired after training improved by
26.8% compared with the baseline assessment, although an 18.1% decrease in cognitive skills was observed 6 months later. Conclusions: Conceptual training to boost the intellectual capital of students attending a BLS training program is essential to the subsequent acquisition of the other skills involved in BLS, the definition of key concepts being an adequate tool for skills learning.