Competing interestsThe authors declare others that they have no competing interests.Authors’ contributionsGT designed the study, collected the data, performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. KMH performed data analysis and helped to draft the manuscript. CG, RB, GH, and SW participated in its design and analysis of the study, and coordinated the drafting of the manuscript. MB performed additional statistical analysis and responded to reviewers. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.AcknowledgementsThe authors acknowledge the support from the ANZICS Centre for Outcomes and Resource Evaluation.
This study was designed as a prospective investigation in volunteer schools, both urban and rural, scattered across Austria. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Austrian Red Cross, Vienna branch.

Eleven randomly selected schools in four states were recruited and required to teach students ranging in age from 9 to 18 years. The teachers, who would train the students, were all faculty at their individual schools and volunteered to participate. All were trained by the Austrian Youth Red Cross to the level of a BLS instructor using a standardized curriculum.Curriculum contentStudents were instructed life-supporting skills according to an implemented standard curriculum for approximately six hours as shown in Table Table1.1. Skills taught included using an AED, providing CPR, and treating life-threatening bleeding, with the course comprising didactic sessions plus hands on training on mannequins. Classes spanned a time period of approximately three months.

Table 1Performance checklistsInvestigation protocol and student identificationIn 11 volunteer schools across Austria, 180 students were trained in CPR between 9 May and 2 June 2006. Students ranged in age from 9 to 18 years and were usually in grade 4 to the final year of high school. At the end of the school year, investigators visited the schools to conduct a standardized evaluation of skills learned. To avoid selection bias, whole school classes were taught and invited to join evaluation. The class selection was simply given through the volunteering teacher and her or his allocation to a particular class. Anyhow, students were given the opportunity to withdraw from study participation.The parents of all students had been informed by the local teachers and asked to give their informed consent for their children to join our evaluation.

Parents who gave consent were then asked to provide weight and height measurements of their children. Prior to evaluation, the children were asked to give their consent to participate in our investigation. The evaluations were conducted Dacomitinib in a private room, separate from where the other students and teachers waited. Parents were allowed to be present during the evaluation, if they or their children wanted.