PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Andrew R Coggins
AU  - Cameron Nottingham
AU  - Karen Byth
AU  - Kevin R Ho
AU  - Felicia A Aulia
AU  - Margaret Murphy
AU  - Amith L Shetty
AU  - Anna Todd
AU  - Nathan Moore
TI  - Randomised controlled trial of simulation-based education for mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation training
AID  - 10.1136/emermed-2017-207431
DP  - 2019 May 01
TA  - Emergency Medicine Journal
PG  - 266--272
VI  - 36
IP  - 5
4099  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/36/5/266.short
4100  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/36/5/266.full
SO  - Emerg Med J2019 May 01; 36
AB  - Introduction Mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (M-CPR) is increasingly used in the management of cardiac arrest. There are no previously reported randomised studies investigating M-CPR training. This study of newly trained M-CPR providers hypothesised that a brief simulation-based intervention after 4 months would improve M-CPR performance at 6 months.Methods This study used a simulated ‘in situ’ cardiac arrest model. The M-CPR device used was a proprietary Lund University Cardiac Assist System 3 machine (Physio Control, Redmond, Washington, USA). Standardised baseline training was provided to all participants. Following training, baseline performance was assessed. The primary outcome measure was the time taken to initiate M-CPR and the secondary outcome was performance against a checklist of errors. Participants were then randomised to intervention group (simulation training) or control group (routine clinical use of M-CPR). After 6 months the outcome measures were reassessed. Comparative statistical tests used an intention-to-treat analysis.Results 112 participants were enrolled. The intervention group (n=60) and control group (n=52) had similar demographic characteristics. At the 6-month assessment, median time to M-CPR initiation was 27.0 s (IQR 22.0–31.0) in the intervention group and 31.0 s (IQR 25.6–46.0) in the control group (p=0.003). The intervention group demonstrated fewer errors compared with controls at 6 months (p<0.001)Conclusion In this randomised study of approaches to M-CPR training, providers receiving additional simulation-based training had higher retention levels of M-CPR skills. Therefore, when resuscitation skills are newly learnt, provision follow-up training should be an important consideration.