A study of the knowledge of choking, burns, acute poisoning and their first aid practices among mothers of children below 14 years of age attending the District General Hospital, Kalutara

Introduction: Choking, burns and acute poisoning are common presentations in paediatric practice. A significant proportion of the damage caused by them is due to faulty or delayed first aid management by the caregivers. Mothers need to be vigilant and smart to identify them and provide first-contact care in a timely manner.

Objectives: Primary aim was to assess knowledge of mothers regarding paediatric emergencies of choking, burns, acute poisoning, and their first aid practices. Secondary aim was to assess sources of knowledge and factors influencing knowledge.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done including 103 participants. An interviewer-administered questionnaire, prepared according to standard guidelines, was used for data collection. The knowledge was categorized as good/poor using a 50% cut-off value.

Results: The mean knowledge scores for first aid of choking, burns, and acute poisoning were 32.03±15.81, 66.34±15.82, and 68.60±20.25 respectively. Of the total, 11.7%, 88.3%, and 61.2% showed good knowledge for choking, burns, and acute poisoning respectively. A majority (45.6%) gained their knowledge through family and friends and 98.1% of mothers were interested in learning further.

Conclusions: Mothers had better knowledge regarding poisoning, burns, and their first aid practices for children compared to choking and its first aid practice. Of the four factors assessed, mothers' age and working status statistically significantly influenced mothers' knowledge but not education or prior experience

Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2022: 51(2): 235-240