title: Quality of Basic Life Support - A Comparison between Medical Students and Paramedics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poor survival rates after cardiac arrest can partly be explained by poor basic life support skills in medical professionals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to assess quality of basic life support in medical students and paramedics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective observational study with 100 early medical students (group A), 100 late medical students (group B) and 100 paramedics (group C), performing a 20-minute basic life support simulation in teams of two. Average frequency and absolute number of chest compressions per minute (mean (±SD)), chest decompression (millimetres of compression remaining, mean (±SD)), hands-off-time (seconds/minute, mean (±SD)), frequency of switching positions between ventilation and chest compression (per 20 minutes) and rate of sufficient compressions (depth ≥50mm) were assessed as quality parameters of CPR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In groups A, B and C the rates of sufficiently deep chest compressions were 56%, 42% and 52%, respectively, without significant differences. Male gender and real-life CPR experience were significantly associated with deeper chest compression. Frequency and number of chest compressions were within recommended goals in at least 96% of all groups. Remaining chest compressions were 6 mm (±2), 6 mm (±2) and 5 mm (±2) with a significant difference between group A and C (p=0.017). Hands-off times were 6s/min (±1), 5s/min (±1) and 4s/min (±1), which was significantly different across all three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, paramedics tended to show better quality of CPR compared to medical students. Though, chest compression depth as an important quality characteristic of CPR was insufficient in almost 50% of participants, even in well trained paramedics. Therefore, we suggest that an effort should be made to find better ways to educate health care professionals in BLS.
authors.affiliation: Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne , Heart Center, Germany .
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Körber
authors.affiliation: Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne , Heart Center, Germany .
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany .
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne , Heart Center, Germany .
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.affiliation: Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne , Heart Center, Germany .
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michels
keywords: Education; Emergency medicine; Resuscitation; Resuscitation training