Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator training in schools: “Is anyone learning how to save a life?”

Abstract

Objectives: Bystander resuscitation efforts, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED), save lives in cardiac arrest cases. School training in CPR and AED use may increase the currently low community rates of bystander resuscitation. The study objective was to determine the rates of CPR and AED training in Toronto secondary schools and to identify barriers to training and training techniques. Methods: This prospective study consisted of telephone interviews conducted with key school staff knowledgeable about CPR and AED teaching. An encrypted Web-based tool with prespecified variables and built-in logic was employed to standardize data collection. Results: Of 268 schools contacted, 93% were available for interview and 83% consented to participate. Students and staff were trained in CPR in 51% and 80% of schools, respectively. Private schools had the lowest training rate (39%). Six percent of schools provided AED training to students and 47% provided AED training to staff. Forty-eight percent of schools had at least one AED installed, but 25% were unaware if their AED was registered with emergency services dispatch. Cost (17%), perceived need (11%), and school population size (10%) were common barriers to student training. Frequently employed training techniques were interactive (32%), didactic instruction (30%) and printed material (16%). Conclusions: CPR training rates for staff and students were moderate overall and lowest in private schools, whereas training rates in AED use were poor in all schools. Identified barriers to training include cost and student population size (perceived to be too small to be cost-effective or too large to be implemented). Future studies should assess the application of convenient and cost-effective teaching alternatives not presently in use. RÉ SUMÉObjectifs: Les manoeuvres de ré animation effectué es par les té moins, telles que la ré animation cardiorespiratoire (RCR) et l'utilisation du dé fibrillateur externe automatique (DEA), peuvent sauver la vie dans les cas d'arrê t cardiaque. Enseigner, dans les é coles, la RCR et l'utilisation du DEA peut augmenter les faibles taux de ré animation effectué e par les té moins, enregistré s au moment de l'é tude dans les collectivité s. L'é tude visait à dé terminer les taux de formation sur la RCR et l'utilisation du DEA dans les é coles secondaires à Toronto et à cerner les obstacles à la formation et aux techniques de formation. Mé thode: Il s'agit d'une é tude prospective, qui consistait en des entrevues té lé phoniques et qui a é té mené e parmi des membres importants du personnel, bien au fait de la formation sur la RCR et l'utilisation du DEA. Nous avons utilisé un outil Web, encodé , comportant des variables pré dé terminé es et doté d'une fonction logique inté gré e pour uniformiser la collecte de donné es. Ré sultats: Sur 268 é coles avec lesquelles nous avons communiqué , 93% ont fait é cho à la demande d'entrevue et 83% ont accepté d'y participer. Les é lè ves et ...

Basic life support education in secondary schools: a cross-sectional survey in London, UK

“…Our findings reflect the results of a similar survey of schools in Yorkshire, England, which found only 3 of the 14 schools delivered universal training 20. Our results are further in line with a recent investigation from Toronto, Canada, which found that 51% of secondary schools provide CPR training for students although it is unclear whether CPR training programmes were required for all students in the institution or whether these were optional programmes 21. There are important differences relating to the legislation between the two locations that raise the issue of making CPR training a requirement of school curriculum.…”

Basic life support knowledge, self-reported skills and fears in Danish high school students and effect of a single 45-min training session run by junior doctors; a prospective cohort study

“…Several key aspects to achieve successful implementation remain unknown, such as the length and the repetitive sequence of training sessions, the content, the teacher (professional instructor vs. non-professional instructor) and the methods or materials that should be used [15-17]. Previous studies have identified cost, limited time in the curriculum and instructor scheduling difficulties as the main barriers to implementation of BLS in schools [6,18]. Our results are valuable in this context, since our study used a new method where voluntary junior doctors used standard ERC BLS guidelines to assess students´ level of knowledge and skills and to carry out an efficient 45-minute hands-on training session and achieve considerable increase in knowledge, self-assessed skills and significant decrease in self-perceived fear.…”

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training in Schools Following 8 Years of Mandating Legislation in Denmark: A Nationwide Survey

“…Prior to mandating legislation, low rates of and barriers to implementation of CPR training in schools were reported (eg, lack of time and funds, instructor scheduling difficulties, training not mandatory) . Recently, legislation mandating CPR training in schools was approved in many American states, Canada, and several European countries . In Denmark in 2005, CPR training became mandatory by the time of student graduation from middle school; bystander CPR increased following several national initiatives to improve resuscitative efforts from bystanders, including the distribution of 35 000 CPR training kits to school children .…”