Background and aims: Accidents are an important cause of injury and death in pediatric age. Caregivers knowledge about first-aid (FA) and their action in an emergent situation can be life-saving. The aim of this study was to understand the knowledge of caregivers in pediatric FA.
Methods: Parents and caregivers in an outpatient service answered an inquire including socio-demographic information and 15 multiple-choice questions about 6 topics related to FA: general knowledge, accidents prevention, emergency practice in the community, neurologic symptoms, trauma and toxic ingestion. 
Results: There was 187 complete inquiries (♀=160/86%; x ̅   age: 36,4±8A). Only 4 in 15 questions had more than 75% correct answers. Globally the mean punctuation was 63%. Neurologic symptoms and toxic ingestion were the topics with better punctuation, whereas the worst was in accident prevention section. Some specifics about the inquiries: 44% believed that FA is just CPR and only 38% know the CPR algorithm. About half would correctly address a seizure or syncope and most can identify warning signs in a head injury. About 16% believe that they should put something in the child’s mouth during a seizure. Considering the toxic ingestion topic most would contact the national line of intoxication and more than 90% identified battery ingestion as requiring emergent care. 
Conclusions: In our study we found an important group of people believing in wrong “first-aid” strategies based on society myths and we had poor results in accident prevention knowledge. Considering the endangerment of wrongful action in an emergency it should be implemented a FA educational program for caregivers.

PEDIATRIC FIRST-AID: WHAT OUR CAREGIVERS KNOW ABOUT IT?