title: Kids save lives: a six-year longitudinal study of schoolchildren learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Who should do the teaching and will the effects last?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This prospective longitudinal study over 6 years compared schoolteachers and emergency physicians as resuscitation trainers for schoolchildren. It also investigated whether pupils who were trained annually for 3 years retain their resuscitation skills after the end of this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 261 pupils (fifth grade) at two German grammar schools received resuscitation training by trained teachers or by emergency physicians. The annual training events stopped after 3 years in one group and continued for 6 years in a second group. We measured knowledge about resuscitation (questionnaire), chest compression rate (min(-1)), chest compression depth (mm), ventilation rate (min(-1)), ventilation volume (mL), self-efficacy (questionnaire). Their performance was evaluated after 1, 3 and 6 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The training events increased the pupils' knowledge and practical skills. When trained by teachers, the pupils achieved better results for knowledge (92.86% ± 8.38 vs. 90.10% ± 8.63, P=0.04) and ventilation rate (4.84/min ± 4.05 vs. 3.76/min ± 2.37, P=0.04) than when they were trained by emergency physicians. There were no differences with regard to chest compression rate, depth, ventilation volume, or self-efficacy at the end of the study. Knowledge and skills after 6 years were equivalent in the group with 6 years training compared with 3 years training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trained teachers can provide adequate resuscitation training in schools. Health-care professionals are not mandatory for CPR training (easier for schools to implement resuscitation training). The final evaluation after 6 years showed that resuscitation skills are retained even when training is interrupted for 3 years.
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany. Electronic address: lukasr@uni-muenster.de.
authors: Roman-Patrik
authors: RP
authors: Lukas
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany.
authors: Hugo
authors: H
authors: Van Aken
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Katholische Stiftung Marienhospital, Aachen, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Mölhoff
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, St. Josef Hospital Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Weber
authors: Faculty of Psychology and Sports Sciences, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Rammert
authors: Faculty of Psychology and Sports Sciences, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: Wild
authors: City of Münster Fire Department and Emergency Services, Münster, Germany.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Bohn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012574:Schools; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Basic life-support; Chest compression; Lay resuscitation; Resuscitation; Schoolchildren; Training