title: Adequacy of chest compressions performed by medical housestaff.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chest compressions (CCs) are a critical part of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We studied the presence and duration of adequate CCs performed by medical housestaff, and correlated our findings with gender and body mass index.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight first-postgraduate-year medical housestaff performed CCs on a computerized patient simulator equipped with a calibrated CC measurement device. Following initial testing, subjects were trained to perform adequate CCs. Subjects were retested 2 weeks later. Presence and duration of adequate CCs were measured during a 120-second endurance test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before training, 14/28 (50%) of the male housestaff performed adequate CCs and 0/30 (0%) of the female housestaff performed adequate CCs. After training, 25/28 (89%) of the male housestaff and 16/30 (53%) of the female housestaff performed adequate CCs. Body mass index and height were not related to adequacy of CCs. After training, 7/28 (25%) of the male subjects and 1/30 (3%) of the female subjects were able to maintain adequate CCs for 120 seconds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training housestaff on a patient simulator is an effective means of improving the adequacy of CCs. Despite training, a significant number of women were unable to perform adequate CCs compared with men; body mass index and height were not determining factors. Very few housestaff were able to sustain 120 seconds of adequate CCs, despite training.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, NYU Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. yonatan@yonatangreenstein.com
authors: Yonatan
authors: Y
authors: Greenstein
authors: Viera
authors: V
authors: Lakticova
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Kory
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Mayo
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013909:Thorax / Q000502:physiology*