title: Impact of the European Paediatric Life Support course on knowledge of resuscitation guidelines among Austrian emergency care providers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even though anaesthetists do not resuscitate children on a daily basis, they need to perform paediatric life support regularly due to their different duties. As the knowledge of international guidelines varies widely, highly standardized European Paediatric Life Support (EPLS) courses have been introduced to improve standards of care. This national survey among Austrian anaesthetists and EPLS course participants evaluated the impact of this course at the end of the guideline period 2005-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  After approval by the institutional review board an online survey about paediatric resuscitation guidelines was sent to EPLS course participants of the guideline period 2005 (EPLS group) and members of the Austrian Society of Anaesthesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (ÖGARI) two weeks before publication of the resuscitations guidelines 2010. Respondents without an EPLS course were assigned to the non-EPLS group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 333 respondents 247 finished the survey. One hundred eighty five persons were assigned to EPLS group and 62 to the non-EPLS group. Members of the EPLS group performed significantly better than the non-EPLS group (76 ± 19% correct answers EPLS group vs. 63 ± 18% correct answers non-EPLS group, p<0.0001). Furthermore, the EPLS group performed better than anesthetists with regular resuscitation training and or resuscitation experience but without an EPLS course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The attendance of an EPLS course within the guideline period 2005 significantly increased the theoretical knowledge of paediatric resuscitation guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Medical Simulation and Emergency Management Research Group, Department of Anaesthesia, General Intensive Care and Pain Management, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. karl.schebesta@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schebesta
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rössler
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kimberger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hüpfl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000592:standards*