Appointment of a Resuscitation Training Officer is associated with improved survival from in-hospital ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia cardiac arrest.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the appointment of a Resuscitation Training Officer improves survival to discharge from in-hospital ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia cardiac arrest.


METHODS
A 22-month prospective study.


METHODS
A 1100-bed teaching hospital.


METHODS
All inpatients suffering ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia cardiorespiratory arrests.


METHODS
Appointment of a Resuscitation Training Officer at start of study, who introduced coordinated resuscitation training for all staff.


RESULTS
Survival to discharge.


RESULTS
Improvement in survival to discharge of 20-75% (P<0.03, Spearman Rank Correlation test).


CONCLUSIONS
Appointment of a Resuscitation Training Officer is associated with improved survival to discharge in ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in-hospital cardiac arrest.
McGowan
J
J
Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
Graham
C A
CA
Gordon
M W
MW
D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D000078329:Workforce