ACLS Ventilation Skills-Education Effect of Compression Adjusted Ventilation: A Manikin Study

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Previous study demonstrated that compression adjusted ventilation (CAV) is helpful in maintaining an adequate ventilation rate during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We conducted this study in order to verify that CAV is also a useful educational method for maintenance of an adequate ventilation rate. METHODS: Volunteers who received education on CPR guidelines were randomly assigned to two groups. In the conventional ventilation (CV) group, participants performed ventilation in accordance with conventional guidelines. In the CAV group, the ventilation rate was adjusted in line with the compression rate (one ventilation per 12 chest compressions). Then, participants performed CPR using a cardiac arrest model with an advanced airway. They performed chest compression and ventilation. All participants performed CPR immediately after their instruction (test 1) and performed it again after four weeks (test 2). RESULTS: Data were collected from 60 participants. In the CAV group, proportion of adequacy of ventilation rates was higher compared with the CV group in both test 1 (CV 18.8% vs. CAV 57.1%, p=0.001) and test 2 (CV 25.0% vs. CAV 71.4%, p<0.001). In addition, no significant difference was observed between the compression rates of the two groups in test 1. However, in test 2, a significant decline was observed in the CV group (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: CAV is a more useful educational method for maintenance of an adequate ventilation rate.