Aprendiendo a reanimar en la escuela. Estudio en escolares de 8-12 años / Learning to resuscitate at school. Study in 8-12 year-old schoolchildren

Objetivo: Valorar cuantitativamente la capacidad de aprendizaje en soporte vital básico (teórica y práctica) de escolares de 8-12 años con un programa de formación adaptado a las escuelas. Material y métodos: Estudio cuasiexperimental con una muestra de conveniencia de 567 alumnos de 3° y 5° de Educación Primaria y 1° de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, de 3 colegios concertados de Galicia, que recibieron 2h (una teórica y otra práctica) de formación en soporte vital básico por parte de sus profesores de Educación Física integrada en el programa escolar. Los niños fueron evaluados mediante un test teórico y una prueba práctica que midió la calidad de las compresiones torácicas y valoró la secuencia de soporte vital básico. (AU)

Objective: To quantitatively assess the learning capacity of school children aged between 8-12 years in basic life support (theory and practice) after a feasible school training programme. Material and methods: Quasi-experimental study with a convenience sample of 567 pupils in 3rd, 5th and 1st year of Primary Education, and Compulsory Secondary Education, respectively, from 3 public schools in Galicia. They received 2h (one theoretical and another practical) of basic life support training by their Physical Education teachers, as part of the school program. The children were evaluated by a theoretical test and a practical skill test that measured the quality of chest compressions, and assessed the performance of the basic life support sequence. (AU)

Learning to resuscitate at school. Study in 8-12 year-old schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively assess the learning capacity of school children aged between 8-12 years in basic life support (theory and practice) after a feasible school training programme. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental study with a convenience sample of 567 pupils in 3rd and 5th year of Primary Education, and first year of Compulsory Secondary Education, from 3 public schools in Galicia. They received 2h (one theoretical and another practical) of basic life support training by their Physical Education teachers, as part of the school program. The children were evaluated by a theoretical test and a practical skill test that measured the quality of chest compressions, and assessed the performance of the basic life support sequence. RESULTS: The level of knowledge increased with respect to the baseline, and was higher in the higher grades (P < .001). The complete basic life support sequence was carried out by 16.5% of pupils in the 3rd year of Primary Education, 54.4% of pupils in the 5th year of Primary Education, and 28.5% of pupils in the 1st year of Secondary Education (P = .030). The following compression quality parameters improved significantly with age: continuity of compressions (P < .001), percentage of compressions performed at correct depth (P = .002), and median depth (P < .001), while the percentage of compressions with correct decompression decreased significantly (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Although their anthropometric characteristics may not allow them to achieve the ideal quality of this manoeuvre, a 2h theoretical and practical training programme, taught by Physical Education teachers, helps to improve the ability of children younger than 13 years old to recognise the emergency, start the chain of survival, and initiate chest compressions.

Training frequency for educating schoolchildren in basic life support: very brief 4-month rolling-refreshers versus annual retraining-a 2-year prospective longitudinal trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of 4-month rolling-refreshers and annual retraining in basic life support (BLS) on a sample of schoolchildren. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred and seventy-two schoolchildren (8-12 years old). INTERVENTIONS: Schoolchildren were instructed in BLS and then split into the following three groups: control group (CG), standard group (SG) and rolling-refresher group (RRG). Their BLS skills were assessed within 1 week (T1) and 2 years later (T2). Moreover, CG did not receive any additional training; SG received one 50 min retraining session 1 year later; RRG participated in very brief (5 min) rolling-refreshers that were carried out every 4 months. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Hands-on skills of BLS sequence and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. RESULTS: BLS sequence performance was similar in all groups at T1, but SG and RRG followed the steps of the protocol in more proportion than CG at T2. When compared at T2, RRG showed higher proficiency than SG in checking safety, checking response, opening the airway and alerting emergency medical services. In addition, although the mean resuscitation quality was low in all groups, RRG participants reached a higher percentage of global quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CG: 16.4±24.1; SG: 25.3±28.8; RRG: 29.9%±29.4%), with a higher percentage of correct chest compressions by depth (CG: 3.9±11.8; SG: 10.8±22.7; RRG: 15.5±26.1 mm). CONCLUSIONS: In 8-to-12-year-old schoolchildren, although annual 50 min retraining sessions help to maintain BLS performance, 4-month very brief rolling-refreshers were shown to be even more effective. Thus, we recommend implementing baseline BLS training at schools, with subsequently brief rolling-refreshers.

[Learning to resuscitate at school. Study in 8-12 year-old schoolchildren]. / Aprendiendo a reanimar en la escuela. Estudio en escolares de 8-12 años.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively assess the learning capacity of school children aged between 8-12 years in basic life support (theory and practice) after a feasible school training programme. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental study with a convenience sample of 567 pupils in 3rd, 5th and 1st year of Primary Education, and Compulsory Secondary Education, respectively, from 3 public schools in Galicia. They received 2h (one theoretical and another practical) of basic life support training by their Physical Education teachers, as part of the school program. The children were evaluated by a theoretical test and a practical skill test that measured the quality of chest compressions, and assessed the performance of the basic life support sequence. RESULTS: The level of knowledge increased with respect to the baseline, and was higher in the higher grades (P<.001). The complete basic life support sequence was carried out by 16.5% of pupils in the 3rd year of Primary Education, 54.4% of pupils in the 5th year of Primary Education, and 28.5% of pupils in the 1st year of Secondary Education (P=.030). The following compression quality parameters improved significantly with age: continuity of compressions (P<.001), percentage of compressions performed at correct depth (P=.002), and median depth (P<.001), while the percentage of compressions with correct decompression decreased significantly (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although their anthropometric characteristics may not allow them to achieve the ideal quality of this manoeuvre, a 2-h theoretical and practical training programme, taught by Physical Education teachers, helps to improve the ability of children younger than 13 years-old to recognise the emergency, start the chain of survival, and initiate chest compressions.

Un primer paso en la enseñanza del soporte vital básico en las escuelas: la formación de los profesores / A first step to teaching basic life support in schools: Training the teachers

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los profesores pueden tener un papel esencial en la formación en reanimación cardiopulmonar básica (RCP-B) de los escolares. Sin embargo, se dispone de pocos datos acerca de la capacidad de aprendizaje de la RCP-B por estos profesionales. OBJETIVO: Evaluar de forma cuantitativa la calidad de la RCP-B realizada por profesores de colegios, tras un programa formativo breve y sencillo. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio cuasiexperimental sin grupo control en el que participaron profesores de cuatro centros concertados de educación infantil, primaria y secundaria, en 3 fases: 1.a de evaluación de conocimientos, 2.a de formación en RCP-B y 3.a de evaluación de las competencias. La formación consistió en una sesión teórica de 40 min y otra práctica de 80 min, con ayuda de maniquís con sistema de retroalimentación de la calidad de las compresiones torácicas. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 81 profesores (60,5% mujeres). Tras la formación, el porcentaje de sujetos que realizaron bien la secuencia de RCP-B aumentó de 1,2% a 46% (p < 0,001). La calidad de las compresiones torácicas también mejoró significativamente en cuanto a: posición correcta de las manos (97,6 vs. 72,3%; p < 0,001), profundidad media (48,1 vs. 38,8mm; p < 0,001), porcentaje que alcanzó la profundidad recomendada (46,5 vs. 21,5%; p < 0,001), porcentaje de descompresiones adecuadas (78,7 vs. 61,2%; p < 0,05), y porcentaje de compresiones realizadas al ritmo recomendado (64,2 vs. 26,9%; p < 0,001). CONCLUSIONES: Tras un programa sencillo y breve, los profesores de colegios concertados son capaces de realizar la secuencia de RCP-B y aplicar las compresiones torácicas con una calidad comparable a la de colectivos con el deber de asistir a una víctima de una parada cardíaca. La comprobación de la capacidad de estos profesionales para hacer una RCP-B de calidad es el primer requisito para que puedan implicarse en la enseñanza de la RCP-B a los escolares

INTRODUCTION: Teachers may have an essential role in basic life support (BLS) training in schoolchildren. However, few data are available about their BLS learning abilities. AIM: To quantitatively assess the quality of BLS when performed by school teachers after a brief and simple training program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with no control group, and involving primary and secondary education teachers from four privately managed and public funded schools was conducted in 3 stages: 1 st. A knowledge test, 2 nd: BLS training, and 3 rd: Performance test. Training included a 40 minutes lecture and 80minutes hands-on session with the help feedback on the quality of the chest compressions. RESULTS: A total of 81 teachers were included, of which 60.5% were women. After training, the percentage of subjects able to perform the BLS sequence rose from 1.2% to 46% (P<.001). Chest compression quality also improved significantly in terms of: correct hands position (97.6 vs. 72.3%; P<.001), mean depth (48.1 vs. 38.8 mm; P<.001), percentage that reached recommended depth (46.5 vs. 21.5%; P<.001), percentage of adequate decompression (78.7 vs. 61.2%; P<.05), and percentage of compressions delivered at recommended rate (64.2 vs. 26.9%; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: After and brief and simple training program, teachers of privately managed public funded schools were able to perform the BLS sequence and to produce chest compressions with a quality similar to that obtained by staff with a duty to assist cardiac arrest victims. The ability of schoolteachers to deliver good-quality BLS is a pre-requisite to be engaged in BLS training for schoolchildren

[A first step to teaching basic life support in schools: Training the teachers]. / Un primer paso en la enseñanza del soporte vital básico en las escuelas: la formación de los profesores.

INTRODUCTION: Teachers may have an essential role in basic life support (BLS) training in schoolchildren. However, few data are available about their BLS learning abilities. AIM: To quantitatively assess the quality of BLS when performed by school teachers after a brief and simple training program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with no control group, and involving primary and secondary education teachers from four privately managed and public funded schools was conducted in 3 stages: 1st. A knowledge test, 2nd: BLS training, and 3rd: Performance test. Training included a 40minutes lecture and 80minutes hands-on session with the help feedback on the quality of the chest compressions. RESULTS: A total of 81 teachers were included, of which 60.5% were women. After training, the percentage of subjects able to perform the BLS sequence rose from 1.2% to 46% (P<.001). Chest compression quality also improved significantly in terms of: correct hands position (97.6 vs. 72.3%; P<.001), mean depth (48.1 vs. 38.8mm; P<.001), percentage that reached recommended depth (46.5 vs. 21.5%; P<.001), percentage of adequate decompression (78.7 vs. 61.2%; P<.05), and percentage of compressions delivered at recommended rate (64.2 vs. 26.9%; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: After and brief and simple training program, teachers of privately managed public funded schools were able to perform the BLS sequence and to produce chest compressions with a quality similar to that obtained by staff with a duty to assist cardiac arrest victims. The ability of schoolteachers to deliver good-quality BLS is a pre-requisite to be engaged in BLS training for schoolchildren.