title: The effect of seeing the rhythm display on performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
abstract: Semiautomated external defibrillators are widely used by prehospital emergency personnel. Some of the devices have a rhythm display and some show only text commands on the screen. To evaluate the effects on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance of seeing the rhythm during resuscitation, 60 fire-fighter students were randomly divided in two groups and trained to use either a defibrillator with a rhythm display or one without a display. The students in both groups formed teams of two rescuers, and their performance of CPR on a manikin was tested using a predefined rhythm sequence in a simulated cardiac arrest situation. The teams using a defibrillator with a rhythm display more often interrupted CPR for pulse checks than those who did not see the rhythm (P=0.003). The duration of CPR between rhythm analyses was shorter in the group who saw the rhythm on the screen (P=0.002). Our data suggest that seeing an organised rhythm on a monitor during CPR interferes with adherence to CPR algorithms which may have a negative influence on the performance of CPR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O. Box 340, Finland. tom.silfvast@hus.fi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Silfvast
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paakkonen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gorski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005387:Finland; D005390:Fires; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D017145:Models, Educational; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors