title: Competency in managing cardiac arrest: A scenario-based evaluation of dental students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) in life-threatening situations is perceived as a basic skill for dental professionals. However, medical emergency training in dental schools is often not standardized. The dental students' knowledge transfer to an ACLS setting thus remains questionable. The aim of the study was to evaluate dental pre-doctorate students' practical competence in ACLS in a standardized manner to enable the curriculum to be adapted to meet their particular needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty dental students (age 25.47 ± 1.81; 16 male/14 female) in their last year of dental studies were randomly assigned to 15 teams. Students' ability to successfully manage ACLS was assessed by a scenario-based approach (training module: Laerdal® ALS Skillmaster). Competence was assessed by means of (a) an observation chart, (b) video analysis and (c) training module analysis (Laerdal HeartSim®4000; Version 1.4). The evaluation was conducted by a trained anesthesiologist with regard to the 2010 guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only five teams (33.3%) checked for all three vital functions (response, breathing and circulation). All teams initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Only 54.12% of the compressions performed during CPR were sufficient. Four teams stopped the CPR after initiation. In total, 93% of the teams used the equipment for bag-valve-mask ventilation and 53.3% used the AED (Automated external defibrillator).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACLS training on a regular basis is necessary and, consistent with a close link between dentistry and medicine, should be a standardized part of the medical emergency curriculum for dental students with a specific focus on the deficiencies revealed in this study.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Anaesthesiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knipfer
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Anaesthesiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Anaesthesiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huettl
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shams
authors.affiliation: c 3 TUM School of Management, Research and Science Management, Technical University Munich , Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Knipfer
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedrich Wilhelm
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Neukam
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Anaesthesiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schuettler
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stelzle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D022561:Advanced Cardiac Life Support / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003243:Consciousness; D003479:Curriculum; D047548:Defibrillators; D004497:Education, Dental; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008397:Masks; D012119:Respiration; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation; D000066908:Simulation Training / Q000379:methods; D013335:Students, Dental; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dental curriculum; emergency treatment; life support; medical emergency