ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE EMERGENCY CARE AND BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AMONG FINAL-YEAR RADIOGRAPHY STUDENTS OF USMANU DANFODIYO UNIVERSITY, SOKOTO

Abstract

Background: Emergency care and Basic Life Support (BLS) are critical competencies for radiographers who may encounter life-threatening conditions during imaging procedures. However, inadequate knowledge and practical preparedness among radiography students have been reported globally, posing risks to patient safety and clinical outcomes. Aim: This study assessed the level of knowledge of emergency care and basic life support among final-year radiography students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. The total population of 34 final-year radiography students was targeted, of which 31 completed and returned the structured questionnaires, yielding a 91.2% response rate. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics via SPSS version 28. Knowledge scores were categorized as good or poor based on a 50% cut-off point. Results: Findings revealed that 20 (64.5%) respondents demonstrated good knowledge of emergency care, while 11 (35.5%) showed poor knowledge. Conversely, 15 (48.4%) participants exhibited good knowledge of BLS, whereas 16 (51.6%) had poor knowledge. Although most respondents showed adequate theoretical understanding of emergency care, significant deficiencies persisted in practical aspects of BLS such as compression depth, rate, and timely initiation of CPR. Conclusion: Final-year radiography students possessed generally satisfactory knowledge of emergency care but exhibited insufficient knowledge of basic life support procedures. Recommendation: The study recommends integrating structured, simulation-based BLS training into the radiography curriculum, periodic re-certification, and interdisciplinary emergency care workshops to improve hands-on competence and enhance patient safety outcomes. Keywords: Emergency care, Basic life support, Radiography students, Knowledge assessment, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.