title: Long-term retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills after shortened chest compression-only training and conventional training: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is unclear how much the length of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training program can be reduced without ruining its effectiveness. The authors aimed to compare CPR skills 6 months and 1 year after training between shortened chest compression-only CPR training and conventional CPR training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly assigned to either the compression-only CPR group, which underwent a 45-minute training program consisting of chest compressions and automated external defibrillator (AED) use with personal training manikins, or the conventional CPR group, which underwent a 180-minute training program with chest compressions, rescue breathing, and AED use. Participants' resuscitation skills were evaluated 6 months and 1 year after the training. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of appropriate chest compressions 1 year after the training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 146 persons were enrolled, and 63 (87.5%) in the compression-only CPR group and 56 (75.7%) in the conventional CPR group completed the 1-year evaluation. The compression-only CPR group was superior to the conventional CPR group regarding the proportion of appropriate chest compression (mean ± SD = 59.8% ± 40.0% vs. 46.3% ± 28.6%; p = 0.036) and the number of appropriate chest compressions (mean ± SD = 119.5 ± 80.0 vs. 77.2 ± 47.8; p = 0.001). Time without chest compression in the compression-only CPR group was significantly shorter than that in the conventional CPR group (mean ± SD = 11.8 ± 21.1 seconds vs. 52.9 ± 14.9 seconds; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The shortened compression-only CPR training program appears to help the general public retain CPR skills better than the conventional CPR training program.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  UMIN-CTR UMIN000001675.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto; Kyoto University Health Service, Kyoto.
authors.forename: Chika
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwami
authors.forename: Tetsuhisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Seishiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marukawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D047548:Defibrillators; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D013334:Students; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities