Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics
Introduction: Poor survival rates after cardiac arrest can partly be explained by poor basic life support skills in medical professionals. Aim: This study aimed to assess quality of basic life support in medical students and paramedics. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2016-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/8197/19221_CE[Ra]_F(P)_PF1(ROAK)_PFA(AK)_PF2(PAG).pdf |
| _version_ | 1818791424529793024 |
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| author | Maria Isabel Körber Thomas Köhler Verena Weiss Roman Pfister Guido Michels |
| author_facet | Maria Isabel Körber Thomas Köhler Verena Weiss Roman Pfister Guido Michels |
| author_sort | Maria Isabel Körber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Poor survival rates after cardiac arrest can
partly be explained by poor basic life support skills in medical
professionals.
Aim: This study aimed to assess quality of basic life support in
medical students and paramedics.
Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective
observational study with 100 early medical students (group A),
100 late medical students (group B) and 100 paramedics (group
C), performing a 20-minute basic life support simulation in
teams of two. Average frequency and absolute number of chest
compressions per minute (mean (±SD)), chest decompression
(millimetres of compression remaining, mean (±SD)), handsoff-time (seconds/minute, mean (±SD)), frequency of switching
positions between ventilation and chest compression (per 20
minutes) and rate of sufficient compressions (depth ≥50mm)
were assessed as quality parameters of CPR.
Results: In groups A, B and C the rates of sufficiently deep
chest compressions were 56%, 42% and 52%, respectively,
without significant differences. Male gender and real-life CPR
experience were significantly associated with deeper chest
compression. Frequency and number of chest compressions
were within recommended goals in at least 96% of all groups.
Remaining chest compressions were 6 mm (±2), 6 mm (±2) and
5 mm (±2) with a significant difference between group A and C
(p=0.017). Hands-off times were 6s/min (±1), 5s/min (±1) and
4s/min (±1), which was significantly different across all three
groups.
Conclusion: Overall, paramedics tended to show better
quality of CPR compared to medical students. Though, chest
compression depth as an important quality characteristic of
CPR was insufficient in almost 50% of participants, even in
well trained paramedics. Therefore, we suggest that an effort
should be made to find better ways to educate health care
professionals in BLS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T15:11:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57a0bb1d653445e789a72f8f26920f92 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-782X 0973-709X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T15:11:08Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-57a0bb1d653445e789a72f8f26920f922022-12-21T21:03:39ZengJCDR Research and Publications Private LimitedJournal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research2249-782X0973-709X2016-07-01107OC33OC3710.7860/JCDR/2016/19221.8197Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and ParamedicsMaria Isabel Körber0Thomas Köhler1Verena Weiss2Roman Pfister3Guido Michels4Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Heart Center, Germany.Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Heart Center, Germany.Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Heart Center, Germany.Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Heart Center, Germany.Introduction: Poor survival rates after cardiac arrest can partly be explained by poor basic life support skills in medical professionals. Aim: This study aimed to assess quality of basic life support in medical students and paramedics. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study with 100 early medical students (group A), 100 late medical students (group B) and 100 paramedics (group C), performing a 20-minute basic life support simulation in teams of two. Average frequency and absolute number of chest compressions per minute (mean (±SD)), chest decompression (millimetres of compression remaining, mean (±SD)), handsoff-time (seconds/minute, mean (±SD)), frequency of switching positions between ventilation and chest compression (per 20 minutes) and rate of sufficient compressions (depth ≥50mm) were assessed as quality parameters of CPR. Results: In groups A, B and C the rates of sufficiently deep chest compressions were 56%, 42% and 52%, respectively, without significant differences. Male gender and real-life CPR experience were significantly associated with deeper chest compression. Frequency and number of chest compressions were within recommended goals in at least 96% of all groups. Remaining chest compressions were 6 mm (±2), 6 mm (±2) and 5 mm (±2) with a significant difference between group A and C (p=0.017). Hands-off times were 6s/min (±1), 5s/min (±1) and 4s/min (±1), which was significantly different across all three groups. Conclusion: Overall, paramedics tended to show better quality of CPR compared to medical students. Though, chest compression depth as an important quality characteristic of CPR was insufficient in almost 50% of participants, even in well trained paramedics. Therefore, we suggest that an effort should be made to find better ways to educate health care professionals in BLS.https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/8197/19221_CE[Ra]_F(P)_PF1(ROAK)_PFA(AK)_PF2(PAG).pdfemergency medicineeducationresuscitation trainingresuscitation |
| spellingShingle | Maria Isabel Körber Thomas Köhler Verena Weiss Roman Pfister Guido Michels Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research emergency medicine education resuscitation training resuscitation |
| title | Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics |
| title_full | Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics |
| title_fullStr | Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics |
| title_short | Quality of Basic Life Support – A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics |
| title_sort | quality of basic life support a comparison between medical students and paramedics |
| topic | emergency medicine education resuscitation training resuscitation |
| url | https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/8197/19221_CE[Ra]_F(P)_PF1(ROAK)_PFA(AK)_PF2(PAG).pdf |
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