title: A model of standardized training in basic life support skills of emergency medicine residents.
abstract: This intervention study was designed to determine the current level of basic life support knowledge and skills of residents in a university-based emergency medicine residency program, and to investigate the potential benefit derived by these residents from a standardized theoretical and practical training session. All residents underwent tests before and after the training session. The residents were asked to perform basic life support on a recording cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequin. Assessments were made using a 10-item checklist, with the highest score being 17. Each step performed by the resident was scored by an emergency physician for accuracy and effectiveness. Twenty-eight residents participated in the study. According to the modified Berden scale, the pretest and posttest scores were 11.2 +/- 2.9 and 15.6 +/- 1.0, respectively, and the mean difference was 4.36 +/- 2.9 (t test, P<.001). Only 11 residents (39.3%) were rated as "good" or "very good" in the pretest, whereas the corresponding figure in the posttest was 27 (96.4%) (P<.001). Skills, such as checking the airway patency (P<.001), checking breathing (P<.001), appropriate compression rate (P<.003), and delivering 2 effective breaths (P<.001), improved significantly. Depth of chest compression (P<.023) was improved significantly only in residents with fewer than 2 years of experience. The training process should comprise standardized courses to facilitate acquisition of the desired skills.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, Inciralti, 35340, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arif H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Cimrin
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Topacoglu
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karcioglu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozsarac
authors.forename: Cuneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayrik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014421:Turkey