The Impact of Withdrawn vs. Agitated Relatives during Resuscitation on Team Workload: A Single-Center Randomised Simulation-Based Study

Abstract

Background: Guidelines recommend that relatives be present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This randomised trial investigated the effects of two different behaviour patterns of relatives on rescuers’ perceived stress and quality of CPR. Material and methods: Teams of three to four physicians were randomised to perform CPR in the presence of no relatives (control group), a withdrawn relative, or an agitated relative, played by actors according to a scripted role, and to three different models of leadership (randomly determined or left open by the team or tutor). The scenarios were video-recorded. Hands-on time was primary, and the secondary outcomes comprised compliance to CPR algorithms, perceived workload, and the influence of leadership. Results: 1229 physicians randomised to 366 teams took part. The presence of a relative did not effect hands-on time (91% [87–93] vs. 92% [88–94] for “withdrawn” and 92 [88–93] for “agitated” relatives; p = 0.15). The teams interacted significantly less with a “withdrawn” than with an “agitated” relative (11 [7–16]% vs. 23 [15–30]% of the time spent for resuscitation, p < 0.01). The teams confronted with an “agitated” relative showed more unsafe defibrillations, higher ventilation rates, and a delay in starting CPR (all p < 0.05 vs. control). The presence of a relative increased frustration, effort, and perceived temporal demands (all <0.05 compared to control); in addition, an “agitated” relative increased mental demands and total task load (both p < 0.05 compared to “withdrawn” and control group). The type of leadership condition did not show any effects. Conclusions: Interaction with a relative accounted for up to 25% of resuscitation time. Whereas the presence of a relative per se increased the task load in different domains, only the presence of an “agitated” relative had a marginal detrimental effect on CPR quality (GERMAN study registers number DRKS00024761).

Family presence during in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation: effects of an educational online intervention on self-confidence and attitudes of healthcare professionals

“…One recent randomized simulation-based study demonstrated that interaction with a family member accounted for up to 25% of resuscitation time. 37,38 While the presence of family members increased frustration, it did not affect hands-on time 37 and family presence had no negative effect on the quality of CPR. 38 However, CPR prolongation does not necessarily need to have a negative impact on the outcome of the patient.…”

COVID-19 CPR—Impact of Personal Protective Equipment during a Simulated Cardiac Arrest in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Comparative Trial

“…This is a prospective comparative trial of two cohorts: during the pandemic years 2020 and 2021, all participants of our workshops performed CPR with PPE (PPE group), while a cohort of participants of pre-pandemic workshops of 2016 to 2019 [ 23 , 24 , 25 ] served as the control group. Apart from the need to wear PPE, the conditions and settings for both cohorts were identical.…”