Abstract 251: First-Year Medical Students Acquire Contextually Relevant Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Knowledge When Exposed to an In-Hospital Focused BLS Course Versus a Traditional Healthcare Provider BLS Course: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Evaluation

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 126; no. suppl_21
• Main Authors: Duval-Arnould, Jordan M, Perretta, Julianne, Chime, Nnenna, Hollingsworth, Merona, Aksamit, Deborah, Twilley, Ida-Marguerite M, Luksic, Mary Ann, Jung, Julianna, Nelson-McMillan, Kristen, Shilkofski, Nicole A, Hunt, Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 20.11.2012
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/circ.126.suppl_21.A251

Abstract only INTRODUCTION: The traditional AHA Healthcare Provider BLS course focuses on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests as the contextual environment and does not provide content focused on optimizing quality of BLS for in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCA). METHODS: First year medical students participated in a prospective, randomized, controlled evaluation of a traditional AHA Healthcare Provider BLS course “TradBLS” vs. a modified course including objectives focused on managing IHCA, “HospBLS”. The courses were identical in length, taught by the same instructors, and used AHA materials. Students completed a Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) survey evaluating knowledge regarding CPR performance and leadership. This project was approved by our Institutional Ethics Committee as an Educational Quality Assurance evaluation and by the AHA. RESULTS: 122 students completed an MCQ survey. Both groups had similar previous BLS certification [HospBLS 29/62 (47%) vs. TradBLS: 32/60 (53%) p = 0.469], and lack of advanced training (neither ACLS or PALS) [95% vs. 97% p = 0.675]. The HospBLS group was significantly more likely to identify a set of six maneuvers to improve quality of in-hospital CPR [87% vs. 27%, p<0.001]. The HospBLS group was more likely to identify 2-person bag-mask-ventilation (BMV) as a maneuver to try when unable to move the chest [77% vs. 18%, p<0.001] as well as correct O2 delivery when performing BMV [90% vs. 17%, p< 0.001]. An equivalent number of students in each group reported they could either lead until the code team arrives [52% vs. 58%, p=0.46] or could lead a simulation but not a real life scenario [5% vs. 10%, p = 0.28]. However, the HospBLS group was much more likely to identify themselves as qualified to be a team leader [44% vs. (3%), p<0.001]; and much less likely to indicate they were not qualified to be a team leader” [0% vs. 28%, p<0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students that took the HospBLS curriculum were more likely to identify maneuvers to optimize quality of CPR for the IHCA, and expressed greater confidence in their ability to be a team leader. This evaluation suggests that knowledge on optimizing CPR for IHCA can be effectively acquired with the same time and resource utilization of the standard AHA Healthcare Provider course and should be further evaluated.