Simulated pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation: initial events and response times of a hospital arrest team

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programs exist to enhance knowledge and skills retention. However, they do not ensure that effective CPR will be performed by trainees or resuscitation teams. One aspect of CPR effectiveness is the ability of the team to respond to an emergency call in a timely manner. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the time required for team members to respond to an emergency call and to initiate definitive treatment in our pediatric facility. The medical staff who responded had no prior knowledge of the simulated cardiac arrest (SCA) events. All events were recorded on audio-cassette tape to determine the sequence of events and response time of arrest team members. SCA scenarios represented examples of cardiac, hematologic, renal, respiratory, and pharmacologic pathophysiology. All participants were instructed to respond as though the SCA were an actual emergency. RESULTS: From December 1991 to January 1993, 37 SCAs were evaluated. Documentation began after a concise arrest scenario had been presented to a designated nursing representative who was to be the first rescuer on the scene. The rescuer first assessed the patient's condition, activated the cardiac arrest system (median elapsed time, MET, 0.50 minutes), and then initiated single-person CPR (MET 0.58 minutes). Administration of oxygen occurred at an MET of 2.25 minutes. The first member of the arrest team to respond was the pediatric resident (MET 3.17 minutes) followed by the respiratory therapist (MET 3.20 minutes), an ICU nurse (MET 3.58 minutes), a pharmacist (MET 3.42 minutes), and anesthesiology personnel (MET 4.70 minutes). DISCUSSION: The use of SCAs (termed "Mega Code") serves as an extension of Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support education and provides a valuable learning experience and quality assurance tool. Limitations that might influence patient outcome during an actual in-hospital arrest have led to refinements in our cardiac arrest procedures. Of particular note was the delay in oxygen administration, which may be linked to its omission from the 1986 and 1992 American Heart Association Basic Life Support Guidelines. CONCLUSION: We believe that BLS education for hospital employees should include and emphasize oxygen delivery for resuscitation.     

Motivation and adult learning: a survey among hospital personnel attending a CPR course

AIM OF THE STUDY: A massive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programme is continued in most hospitals to make hospital personnel ready to take action in cases of cardiac arrest. Motivated course participants learn more and perform better than unmotivated course participants. This study investigates whether hospital personnel are motivated to participate in CPR courses and whether motivation correlates with important assumptions in adult learning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey measuring learning motivation via the MSLQ instrument was performed among 361 hospital personnel before attending a CPR course. Assumptions of adult learning were identified and data were analysed in relation to these assumptions. RESULTS: Hospital personnel are generally motivated for learning CPR. Respondents who had been prepared for the course, who had participated in the decision about attending the course, who were working in high-risk area for cardiac arrest or were nursing personnel working in long-time close contact with patients were more motivated to CPR training than other hospital personnel. It seems like motivation correlates with adult learning assumptions such as the learners need to know, the learners self-concept, readiness to learn and orientation to learning. CONCLUSION: This study supports the assumption that CPR training should be based on an adult learning model. As preparedness, participation, readiness and relevance seem to be key factors, we may want to include these factors when training hospital personnel in CPR skills.     

A strategy for nurse defibrillation in general wards

Reducing the delay to defibrillation has a major impact on chance of survival from cardiac arrest. A high proportion of cardiac arrests occur in general ward areas, and the teaching and application of defibrillation is as much a priority there as in high dependency areas. The patients most likely to survive in-hospital cardiac arrests are those whom return of spontaneous circulation had been achieved by the first responder. In most clinical areas the first responder is likely to be a nurse. Nurses in Brighton had been taught manual defibrillation for many years, but were often reluctant to use their skills. We introduced a course specifically designed for ward nurses, covering rhythm recognition and defibrillation, with the objective of training large numbers and making the skill so prevalent that it would become an accepted nurse procedure. RESULTS: Ninety-eight nurses were trained during 1996. By the end of that year, nurses in general ward areas performed defibrillation in 80% of all cases where a shock was required at any time during the resuscitation attempt. However, only 3/25 (12%) of patients in a primary shockable rhythm were defibrillated before a member of the cardiac arrest team arrived. One hundred and forty-nine additional nurses were trained during 1997/8. By the end of this two year period there was no increase in the overall percentage of nurse defibrillations, but the number of patients in primary VF/VT defibrillated before the arrival of the cardiac arrest team had markedly increased to 17/37 (46%, P < 0.02). During this period the overall hospital survival to discharge from primary VF/VT showed a non significant improvement from 41 to 55%. CONCLUSION: We believe that it is not sufficient simply to permit nurse defibrillation, it must be perceived as a routine skill within the environment of an acute hospital.     

Undergraduate nursing students' acquisition and retention of CPR knowledge and skills

The ability to respond quickly and effectively to a cardiac arrest situation rests on nurses being competent in the emergency life-saving procedure of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which Irish nursing students acquire and retain CPR cognitive knowledge and psychomotor skills following CPR training. A quasi-experimental time series design was used. A pre-test, CPR training programme, post-test, and re-test were conducted. CPR knowledge was assessed by a multiple-choice assessment and psychomotor skills were assessed by observing CPR performance on a Resusci-Anne skill-meter manikin. The findings showed an acquisition in nurses' CPR knowledge and psychomotor performance following a 4h CPR training programme. Despite this, at no point in this study, did any nurse pass the CPR skills assessment. A deterioration in both CPR knowledge and skills was found 10 weeks following CPR training. However, students' knowledge and skills were improved over their pre-training scores, which clearly indicated a positive retention in CPR cognitive knowledge and psychomotor skills. The study findings present strong evidence to support the critical role of CPR training in ensuring that nursing students progress to competent and confident responders in the event of a cardiac related emergency.     

Predictive Factors of Successful Telephone-assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background

Our emergency medical service developed a telephone (phone)-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (PACPR) procedure.

Objectives

To describe this procedure and study the factors modulating its implementation.

Methods

We conducted a single-center prospective study of telephone calls to our emergency medical communication center for cardiac arrest, for which PACPR was initiated.

Results

Thirty-eight patients were included in the study. In six cases, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) had been started before the call. When PACPR was initiated, CPR was performed until the rescue team arrived in 27 cases. One-third (n = 9) of the bystanders in these cases knew first-aid interventions, and all of these bystanders continued CPR until the rescue team arrived. The absence of a familial relationship between bystander and patient facilitated the continuation of CPR (100% vs. 37% with family ties, p = 0.01). CPR was continued more often if the bystander immediately agreed to PACPR than when he or she did not agree at first (88% vs. 45%, respectively, p = 0.01). When an obstacle to performing CPR was encountered, CPR was then performed in 57% of cases vs. 100% of cases with no obstacle (p = 0.003). These obstacles were associated with either the bystander (panic, apprehension, feelings of inadequacy, physical inability, indirect witness, tiredness) or the victim (morphotype, physical position). The presence of an obstacle, compared to no obstacle, associated with the bystander lowered the CPR performance rate (58% vs. 94%, respectively, p = 0.01). The presence of an obstacle, compared to no obstacle, associated with the victim also lowered CPR performance rate (50% vs. 85%, respectively, p = 0.04).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the feasibility of PACPR. The results may lead to a better understanding of facilitating factors and obstacles to telephone-assisted CPR, with the goal of improving its implementation. Good command of communication tools, identification of an appropriate bystander, and appropriate victim positioning are three fundamental factors of success.     

Using Simulation Training to Improve Perioperative Patient Safety

Simulation learning provides medical and nursing personnel with the opportunity to develop and refine their skills without putting patients at risk. Faced with ensuring the competence of a large number of new staff members, the management team at one facility implemented a simulation training program. Surgical team members are able to participate in an ongoing program of simulated scenarios involving surgical drape fires and airway fires, cardiac arrest of patients in the supine position and prone position, respiratory depression in the postanesthesia care unit, and malignant hyperthermia. The simulations help OR staff members identify problems that can happen during real emergencies and help them work as a team to prepare for events that may represent life-threatening situations for patients.     

CPR in hospitalized patients: when is it futile?

When cardiac or pulmonary arrest occurs in hospitalized patients, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is often futile. Although "do-not-resuscitate" orders are widely used and presumably screen out many patients who are poor candidates for CPR, recent studies have shown that an average of only 13 percent of patients receiving CPR in the hospital survive to discharge. An average of 4 percent of patients receiving CPR in general ward settings survive. Of those who do survive after CPR, many are in a persistent vegetative state or a chronic dependent condition. Patients with malignancy, sepsis, pneumonia, renal failure, diabetes or advanced age have a low chance of surviving after CPR. It is important for both patients and physicians to make a realistic appraisal of the likely outcome of CPR.     

In-hospital cardiac arrest: survival depends mainly on the effectiveness of the emergency response

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the factors affecting the outcome of in-hospital cardiac arrest. SETTING: A 1400-bed tertiary care teaching hospital with a dedicated cardiac arrest team (CAT). The CAT was immediately available in monitored areas (intensive care unit and emergency room). In the wards the staff had only BLS skills and automated external defibrillation was not available. METHODS: A 2-year prospective audit according to the Utstein style. RESULTS: A total of 114 cardiac arrests (37 with VF/VT and 77 with non-VF/VT) were included. Fifty-two cardiac arrests (46%) occurred in monitored areas, 62 (54%) occurred in non-monitored areas. The CAT arrival time in non-monitored areas was 3.98+/-1.73 min. Thirty-seven patients (32%) survived to hospital discharge. Cardiac arrests occurring in monitored areas had a significantly better outcome than those occurring in the wards. Patient survival in the wards was significantly higher when the CAT arrival time was less than 3 min. No patient whose CAT arrival time was longer than 6 min survived. CAT arrival time was significantly shorter (1.30+/-1.70) in survivors than in non-survivors (2.51+/-2.37; P<0.005). Sex, age and presence of bystanders were not significantly associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: In our setting, where bystander defibrillation was not available, the survival of patients having cardiac arrest in non-monitored areas strongly depends on advanced life support provided by the CAT. A faster CAT response and early defibrillation from the ward staff are the most important improvements necessary to increase cardiac arrest survival in our setting.     

Does resuscitation training affect outcome from cardiac arrest?

It is established that basic life support (BLS) is performed inadequately by both nursing and medical staff and that the ability to retain these skills, once trained, is low. In addition, the initial success rate from cardiopulmonary arrest is poor. By implementing the advanced life support (ALS) course and providing frequent updates on resuscitation skills and management, it is expected that cardiac arrest outcome results should improve. This data is from a 4 year audit of in-hospital cardiac arrest within an adult patient group between January 1993 and December 1996. The average return response of all audit forms was 86.5%. The total sample consisted of 367 separate arrests where the initial rhythm was documented as either ventricular fibrillation (VF)/ventricular tachycardia (VT) (58.3%), asystole (21.7%), electromechanical dissociation (EMD) (7.0%) and other (13.0%). Initial success was defined as return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). This was achieved in 75.0% of all resuscitation attempts. Within the VF/VT group, successful outcome remained consistent over the 4-year period with an ROSC of 85%. Successful outcome remained consistent in the EMD group, however, the number of arrests was small. Within the asystole group, initial survival increased from 47.5% in 1993-1994 to 67.5% in 1995-1996. These results suggest that BLS and ALS training may only have an impact on initial survival from cardiac arrest.     

Hospital-wide first-responder automated external defibrillator programme: 1 year experience

The first year experience with a hospital-wide first-responder automated external defibrillator (AED) programme implemented in a 683-bed University Hospital is reported. Throughout the hospital, 14 "AED access spots" were identified which could be easily reached from all wards and diagnostic rooms within 30s. AEDs were installed (Lifepak 500; Medtronik PhysioControl Corp., Redmond, USA, equipped with a Biolog 3000i portable ECG monitor; Micromedical Industries Ltd., Labrador, Australia). Within 3 months, 120 medical officers, 750 nurses, and 50 administrative or technical staff underwent a 2h training programme. An AED was applied and activated by nurses/medical staff before the cardiac arrest team arrived in 27 of 33 cases (81.8%) of witnessed cardiac arrest. The median time from onset of the emergency call to the activation of the AED (record of ECG) was on average 2.1 min (range 1.0--4.5 min). In 18 of 27 cases in which the AED was installed promptly, the primary arrest rhythm was either VT or VF, and the AED delivered a shock. For this subgroup, the rate of return of spontaneous circulation and the rate of discharge at home were 88.9 and 55.6%, respectively. This encourages us to extend the concept of first-responder AED-defibrillation throughout our hospital.     

Resuscitation Guidelines 2005: does experienced nursing staff need training and how effective is it?

Introduction

Even among health care professionals, resuscitation performance has been shown to be poor. So far, it remains unclear whether cardiac arrest staff with frequent practice in resuscitation requires training to adapt to the new International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) guidelines of 2005. This study evaluated the need for basic life support training in nurses with emergency experience.

Methods and Results

Nurses (N = 24) recruited from an intensive care unit self-assessed their resuscitation skills and performed a cardiac arrest scenario using a manikin. After a theoretical instruction and hands-on training followed by feedback, participants once again performed a resuscitation scenario in addition to completing posttraining self-assessments. Participating nurses considered resuscitation skills training—in particular in adapting to the new ILCOR guidelines of 2005—to be important. Pretraining data revealed performance deficits even in this sample of emergency-experienced nursing staff. Training resulted in significant improvement in ventilation volume (P < .001), rate of compressions with correct depth (P < .031) and full release (P < .001), and a reduction in total hands-off time (P < .050). Objective data were mirrored in participants' self-assessed competencies.

Conclusion

Results suggest that basic life support training based on the ILCOR guidelines of 2005 is necessary even in nurses with emergency experience. Training followed by the application of a feedback algorithm seems to improve short-term resuscitation performance and is well accepted by experienced nurses who work on an intensive care unit and who also comprise the inner-hospital cardiac arrest team.     

Predicting outcome of inhospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation

We conducted a prospective study of CPR in our hospital in order to learn more of the factors influencing outcome. In a 7-month period, 71 patients underwent CPR. Twenty-nine (41%) were successfully resuscitated; of these, 13 (18% of the total group) survived to be discharged from the hospital. Factors associated with a successful outcome included occurrence of cardiopulmonary arrest within 24 h of hospitalization, short duration of CPR, and the absence of cardiogenic shock, sepsis, acute renal failure, cancer, and pneumonia. Factors which did not influence outcome included the patients' age, sex, location in hospital during the arrest (general ward vs. intensive cardiac care unit), time of day of the arrest, or the participation of senior physicians or anesthesiologists in the resuscitation.     

Assessment of the success of cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts performed in a Turkish university hospital

The success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may differ from institution to institution, even within different sites in the same institution. A variety of factors may influence the outcome. In this study, we assessed the adequacy of CPR attempts guided by the current standards and aimed to define the factors influencing the outcome following in-hospital cardiac arrest. One hundred and thirty-four patients who required CPR were studied prospectively. Different variables for the CPR performance were recorded using forms designed for this study in the light of the guidelines. In these CPR forms various data including the demographics, history, monitoring, number, composition and experience of the anaesthesiologists, the site of CPR, time of day, the delay before onset of CPR, tracheal intubation, duration of arrest, initial rhythm in ECG monitored patients, management of CPR, drug administration and reversible causes of cardiac arrest were recorded. Our rates of immediate survival, survival at 24 h and survival to discharge 49.3%, 28.5% and 13.4%, respectively. The extent of monitoring prior to arrest, the attendance of one or more experienced anesthesiologists in the CPR team, CPR during office hours, CPR in ICU or operating room, early initiation of CPR and tracheal intubation prior to arrest were found as the factors increasing discharge survival. We conclude that early initiation of CPR with an experienced team in a well-equipped hospital sites increases the discharge survival rate following cardiac arrest.     

Management of cardiac arrest following poisoning

Toxic cardiac arrest is an uncommon manifestation of poisoning. Patients might benefit from resuscitative measures that are over and above those recommended in standard ACLS resuscitation guidelines. Extraordinary resuscitative measures might include the use of toxin‐specific antidotes, prolonged CPR and/or other measures to bypass the poisoned myocardium (such as extra‐corporeal membrane oxygenation). Treating medical staff should seek expert advice from a toxicologist or from their Poisons Information Centre network (Australia 13 11 26; New Zealand 0800 764 766) at the earliest opportunity when managing patients with cardiac arrest or intractable shock from known or suspected poisoning. Ideally, toxicological expertise should be sought before the withdrawal of active treatment in cardiac arrest or shock from known or suspected poisoning.     

Advancing nursing research through a mentorship program for staff nurses

This article describes a unique model of implementing unit-based research teams to provide staff nurses with knowledge, skills, and mentoring. The essential elements of designing and conducting a research study are emphasized in an effort to improve nursing practice and the quality of patient care. The research education and practicum are incorporated into team meetings. This unique model provides greater efficiency and effectiveness of resources and allows for more interactive education than occurs in traditional models. Unit-based nursing teams learn together to design research studies, test hypotheses, and answer clinically relevant research questions, using the scientific process.     

基于Utstein模式的心肺复苏注册单在急诊科的应用

目的探讨基于Utstein模式的心肺复苏注册单在急诊科应用的效果。方法对167例病例进行一般资料登记,回顾审阅167例病历资料中关于心肺复苏的病程描述及医嘱和护理记录,逐一寻找符合注册单中的条目信息并进行登记。将2013年1—9月心脏骤停的48例患者分为实验组,运用注册单前瞻性收集心肺复苏关键数据。实验组的资料收集经过心肺复苏标准化注册培训的临床医务人员在心肺复苏抢救中利用注册单实时记录心肺复苏流程,并按照注册表的质控要求进行数据完善及严格质控。结果注册单应用后心脏骤停时间、心脏骤停病因、CPR启动时间、首次除颤时间、CPR终止时间的记录缺失率较应用前降低,差异均有统计学意义（χ^2值分别为5．92,5．34,203．93,75．16,193．71;P〈0．05）。结论基于Utstein模式的心肺复苏注册单的应用降低了心肺复苏关键数据的缺失率,为心肺复苏质量控制奠定了基础。     

The impact of quantitative feedback on the performance of chest compression by basic life support trained clinical staff

BackgroundThe quality of CPR is directly related to survival outcomes following sudden cardiac arrest but, CPR competency amongst nursing and medical staff is generally poor. The skills honed in CPR recertification training rapidly decline in quality, even as soon as eight weeks following the training. High frequency low dose training has been recommended to address this decay in skills. Automated training devices that provide feedback may be useful in conducting low dose training, which would assist hospitals to manage the often logistically difficult, and financially costly exercise of conducting training programs. Little evidence is published about the improvement in skills performance that can be derived from isolated feedback from these training devices.ObjectivesTo investigate whether the feedback from an automated training device can produce performance in a ‘low dose’ episode of re-training on chest compressions and compression depth for CPR.MethodsA repeated measures study was conducted assessing the compression rate and depth quality over 2 min using a Laerdal QCPR® simulation manikin capable of recording performance data. On-screen feedback was provided to participants between attempts. Convenience sampling recruited undergraduate and qualified nursing and medical staff who were engaged in a CPR recertification program at a major Australian private hospital.ResultsIn total, 150 participants were enrolled. Feedback from the automated training device was sufficient to produce a significant improvement in both chest compression rate (95% CI 13.3 to 19.7; p < 0.001) and depth (95% CI 5.9 to 9.7; p < 0.001) during the low dose training episode.ConclusionsThe feedback provided from an automated training device was sufficient to produce an improvement in performance in chest compressions in CPR. This demonstrates an alternate staff training model that could improve patient outcomes, and allow for higher frequency training whilst potentially reducing costs and the logistical problems many medical institutions face with staff training.     

Compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation vs standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation: an updated meta-analysis of observational studies

Objectives

To perform an updated meta-analysis of observational studies with unstratified cohort addressing whether compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), compared with standard CPR, improves outcomes in adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and a subgroup meta-analysis for the patients with cardiac etiology arrest.

Methods

We searched the relevant literature from MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. The baseline information and outcome data (survival to hospital discharge, favorable neurologic outcome at hospital discharge, and return of spontaneous circulation on hospital arrival) were extracted both in an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and cardiac origin arrest subgroup. Meta-analyses were performed by using Review Manager 5.0.

Results

Eight studies involving 92?033 patients were eligible. Overall meta-analysis showed that standard CPR was associated with statistically improved survival to hospital discharge (risk ratio [RR], 0.95 [95% confidence interval, 0.91-0.99]) and return of spontaneous circulation on hospital arrival (RR, 0.95 [95% confidence interval, 0.92-0.99]) compared with compression-only CPR, but there is no significant difference in favorable neurologic outcome at hospital discharge between 2 CPR methods (RR, 0.97 [95% confidence interval, 0.91-1.04]). In the subgroup of patients with a cardiac cause of arrest, the pooled meta-analysis found compression-only CPR resulted in the similar survival to hospital discharge as standard CPR (RR, 0.99 [95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.05]).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis found that compression-only CPR resulted in the similar survival rate as the standard CPR in the cardiac etiology subgroup. It is unclear for the patients with noncardiac cause of arrest and with long periods of untreated arrest.     

农村社区护理人员心肺复苏技能掌握及培训的现状

目的了解基层（农村社区服务站）护理人员心肺复苏（cardiopul monary resuscitation,CPR）技能掌握及培训的现状,为实施CPR技能培训提供依据。方法对45名农村社区服务站护理人员进行CPR技能掌握和培训情况的问卷调查。结果农村社区服务站的护理人员CPR技能掌握不佳,75.56%的护理人员认为会CPR操作,能独立规范完成CPR操作的仅为5.88%;从没有参加过急救技能培训的护理人员占53.33%;表示＂非常需要＂或＂需要＂急救技能培训的有42名,占93.33%。结论基层护理人员CPR技能和相关理论知识薄弱,但护理人员对培训的需求较高,应尽快给予规范的急救技能培训。