Modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score-Lactate (mREMS-L) performance to screen non-anticipated 30-day-related-mortality in emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the ability to predict 30-day in-hospital mortality of lactate versus the modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (mREMS) versus the arithmetic sum of the mREMS plus the numerical value of lactate (mREMS-L). METHODS: A prospective, multicentric, emergency department delivery, pragmatic study was conducted. To determine the predictive capacity of the scales, lactate was measured and the mREMS and mREMS-L were calculated in adult patients (aged>18 years) transferred with high priority by ambulance to the emergency department in five hospitals of Castilla y Leon between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of each of the scales was calculated in terms of mortality for 30 days. RESULTS: A total of 5371 participants were included, and the in-hospital mortality rate at 30 days was of 11.4% (615 cases). The best cut-off point determined in the mREMS was 7.0 points (sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 84%), and for lactate, the cut-off point was 1.4 mmol/L (sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 67%). Finally, the combined mREMS-L showed a cut-off point of 7.9 (sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 83%). The area under the ROC curve of the mREMS, lactate and mREMS-L for 30-day mortality was 0.851, 0.853, and 0.903, respectively (p < 0.001 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS: The new score generated, mREMS-L, obtained better statistical results than its components (mREMS and lactate) separately.

School children brief training to save foreign body airway obstruction.

Foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) is a relatively common emergency and a potential cause of sudden death both in children and older people; bystander immediate action will determine the victim's outcome. Although many school children's basic life support (BLS) training programs have been implemented in recent years, references to specific training on FBAO are lacking. Therefore, the aim was to assess FBAO-solving knowledge acquisition in 10-13-year-old school children. A quasi-experimental non-controlled simulation study was carried out on 564 ten-to-thirteen-year-old children from 5 schools in Galicia (Spain). Participants received a 60-min training led by their physical education teachers (5 min theory, 15 min demonstration by the teacher, and 30 min hands-on training) on how to help to solve an FBAO event. After the training session, the school children's skills were assessed in a standardized adult's progressive FBAO simulation scenario. The assessment was carried out by proficient researchers utilizing a comprehensive checklist specifically designed to address the variables involved in resolving a FBAO event according with current international guidelines. The assessment of school children's acquired knowledge during the simulated mild FBAO revealed that 62.2% of participants successfully identified the event and promptly encouraged the simulated patient to cough actively. When the obstruction progressed, its severity was recognized by 86.2% and back blows were administered, followed by abdominal thrusts by 90.4%. When the simulated victim became unconscious, 77.1% of children identified the situation and immediately called the emergency medical service and 81.1% initiated chest compressions. No significant differences in performance were detected according to participants' age.  Conclusion: A brief focused training contributes to prepare 10-13-year-old school children to perform the recommended FBAO steps in a standardized simulated patient. We consider that FBAO should be included in BLS training programs for school children. What is Known: • Kids Save Lives strategy states that school children should learn basic life support (BLS) skills because of their potential role as first responders. • This BLS training does not include content for resolving a foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO). What is New: • Following a 60-min theoretical-practical training led by physical education teachers, 10-13-year-old school children are able to solve a simulated FBAO situation. • The inclusion of FBAO content in BLS training in schools should be considered.

Assessment of over-the-head resuscitation method in an inflatable rescue boat sailing at full speed. A non-inferiority pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Drowning is a public health problem. Interrupting the drowning process as soon as possible and starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can improve survival rates. Inflatable rescue boats (IRBs) are widely used worldwide to rescue drowning victims. Performing CPR in special circumstances requires adjusting the position based on the environment and space available. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of over-the-head resuscitation performed by rescuers aboard an IRB in comparison to standard CPR. METHODS: A quasi-experimental, quantitative, cross-sectional pilot study was conducted. Ten professional rescuers performed 1 min of simulated CPR on a QCPR Resuscy Anne manikin (Laerdal, Norway) sailing at 20 knots using two different techniques: 1) standard CPR (S-CPR) and 2) over-the-head CPR (OTH-CPR). Data were recorded through the APP QCPR Training (Laerdal, Norway). RESULTS: The quality of CPR was similar between S-CPR (61%) and OTH-CPR (66%), with no statistically significant differences (p = 0.585). Both the percentage of compressions and the percentage of correct ventilations did not show significant differences (p > 0.05) between the techniques. CONCLUSION: The rescuers can perform CPR maneuvers with acceptable quality in the IRB. The OTH-CPR technique did not show inferiority compared to S-CPR, making it a viable alternative when boat space or rescue conditions do not allow the conventional technique to be performed.

Can a voice assistant help bystanders save lives? A feasibility pilot study chatbot in beta version to assist OHCA bystanders.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluating the usefulness of a chat bot as an assistant during CPR care by laypersons. METHODS: Twenty-one university graduates and university students naive in basic life support participated in this quasi-experimental simulation pilot trial. A version beta chatbot was designed to guide potential bystanders who need help in caring for cardiac arrest victims. Through a Question-Answering (Q&A) flowchart, the chatbot uses Voice Recognition Techniques to transform the user's audio into text. After the transformation, it generates the answer to provide the necessary help through machine and deep learning algorithms. A simulation test with a Laerdal Little Anne manikin was performed. Participants initiated the chatbot, which guided them through the recognition of a cardiac arrest event. After recognizing the cardiac arrest, the chatbot indicated the start of chest compressions for 2 min. Evaluation of the cardiac arrest recognition sequence was done via a checklist and the quality of CPR was collected with the Laerdal Instructor App. RESULTS: 91% of participants were able to perform the entire sequence correctly. All participants checked the safety of the scene and made sure to call 112. 62% place their hands on the correct compression point. A media time of 158 s (IQR: 146-189) was needed for the whole process. 33% of participants achieved high-quality CPR with a median of 60% in QCPR (IQR: 9-86). Compression depth had a median of 42 mm (IQR: 33-53) and compression rate had a median of 100 compressions/min (IQR: 97-100). CONCLUSION: The use of a voice assistant could be useful for people with no previous training to perform de out-of-hospital cardiac arrest recognition sequence. Chatbot was able to guide all participants to call 112 and to perform continuous chest compressions. The first version of the chatbot for potential bystanders naive in basic life support needs to be further developed to reduce response times and be more effective in giving feedback on chest compressions.

Lactate improves the predictive ability of the National Early Warning Score 2 in the emergency department.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the ability to predict 2-, 7-, 14-, and 30-day in-hospital mortality of lactate vs the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) vs the arithmetic sum of the NEWS2 plus the numerical value of lactate (NEWS2-L). METHODS: This was a prospective, multicentric, emergency department delivery, pragmatic cohort study. To determine the predictive capacity of lactate, we calculated the NEWS2 and NEWS2-L in adult patients (aged >18 years) transferred with high priority by ambulance to the emergency department in five hospitals of Castilla y Leon (Spain) between November 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of each of the scales was calculated in terms of mortality for every time frame (2, 7, 14, and 30 days). We determined the cut-off point of each scale that offered highest sensitivity and specificity using the Youden index. RESULTS: A total of 1716 participants were included, and the in-hospital mortality rates at 2, 7, 14, and 30 days were of 7.8% (134 cases), 11.6% (200 cases), 14.2% (243 cases), and 17.2% (295 cases), respectively. The best cut-off point determined in the NEWS2 was 6.5 points (sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 59%), and for lactate, the cut-off point was 3.3 mmol/L (sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 72%). Finally, the combined NEWS2-L showed a cut-off point of 11.7 (sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 85%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the NEWS2, lactate, and NEWS2-L in the validation cohort for 2-day mortality was 0.889, 0.856, and 0.923, respectively (p<0.001 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS: The new score generated, NEWS2-L, obtained better statistical results than its components (NEWS2 and lactate) separately.

Pediatric Ventilation Skills by Non-Healthcare Students: Effectiveness, Self-Perception, and Preference.

Since a great number of infant cardiopulmonary arrests occur outside of the hospital, it is crucial to train laypersons in cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques, especially those professionals that will work with infants and children. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efectiveness of ventilations performed by professional training students. The secondary objective was to analyze the preference between different ventilation and chest-compression methods. The sample consisted of 32 professional training students, 15 preschool students, and 17 physical education students. The activity was conducted separately for each group, and we provided a 10 min theoretical training about infant basic life support followed by a 45 min practical training using a Laerdal Little Anne QCPR CPR manikin. A practical test in pairs was organized to record the ventilation as performed by the participants, establishing the difference between the efficacious and the non-efficacious ones. Furthermore, we handed out a survey before and after training to evaluate their knowledge. More than 90% of the students completely agreed with the importance of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques for their professional future. More than half of the sample considered that they perform the rescue breathings with the mouth-to-mouth method better. We observed that through mouth-to-mouth-nose ventilations, the number of effective ventilations was significantly higher than the effective ventilations provided by a self-inflating bag and mask (EffectiveMtoMN 6.42 ± 4.27 vs. EffectiveMask 4.75 ± 3.63 (p = 0.007)), which was the preferred method. In terms of the compression method, hands encircling the chest was preferred by more than 85% of students. Mouth-to-mouth nose ventilation is more efficient than bag-face-mask ventilation in CPR as performed by professional training and physical activity students. This fact must be considered to provide higher-quality training sessions to professional training students.

Clinical outcome prediction of acute neurological patients admitted to the emergency department: Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and modified SOFA score.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the ability of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (SOFA) and modified SOFA score (mSOFA) as predictive tools for 2-day and 28-day mortality and ICU admission in patients with acute neurological pathology treated in hospital emergency departments (EDs). Methods: An observational, prospective cohort study in adults with acute neurological disease transferred by ambulance to an ED was conducted from 1 January 2019 to 31 August 2022 in five hospitals in Castilla-León (Spain). Score discrimination was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the score. Results: A total of 640 adult patients with neurological disease were included. For the prediction of 2-day mortality (all-cause), mSOFA presented a higher AUC than SOFA (mSOFA = 0.925 vs. SOFA = 0.902). This was not the case for 28-day mortality, for which SOFA was higher than mSOFA (mSOFA = 0.852 vs. SOFA = 0.875). Finally, ICU admission showed that SOFA was higher than mSOFA (mSOFA = 0.834 vs. SOFA = 0.845). Conclusion: Both mSOFA and SOFA presented similar predictive ability, with mSOFA being the best predictor for short-term mortality and SOFA being the best predictor for medium-term mortality, as well as for ICU admission. These results in a cohort of patients with acute neurological pathology pave the way for the use of both predictive tools in the ED. The inclusion of these tools could improve the clinical assessment and further treatment of neurological patients, who commonly present the worst outcomes.

Comparison of Nine Early Warning Scores for Identification of Short-Term Mortality in Acute Neurological Disease in Emergency Department.

(1) Background: The aim was screening the performance of nine Early Warning Scores (EWS), to identify patients at high-risk of premature impairment and to detect intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, as well as to track the 2-, 7-, 14-, and 28-day mortality in a cohort of patients diagnosed with an acute neurological condition. (2) Methods: We conducted a prospective, longitudinal, observational study, calculating the EWS [Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), VitalPAC Early Warning Score (ViEWS), Modified Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (MREMS), Early Warning Score (EWS), Hamilton Early Warning Score (HEWS), Standardised Early Warning Score (SEWS), WHO Prognostic Scored System (WPSS), and Rapid Acute Physiology Score (RAPS)] upon the arrival of patients to the emergency department. (3) Results: In all, 1160 patients were included: 808 patients were hospitalized, 199 cases (17%) required ICU care, and 6% of patients died (64 cases) within 2 days, which rose to 16% (183 cases) within 28 days. The highest area under the curve for predicting the need for ICU admissions was obtained by RAPS and MEWS. For predicting mortality, MREMS obtained the best scores for 2- and 28-day mortality. (4) Conclusions: This is the first study to explore whether several EWS accurately identify the risk of ICU admissions and mortality, at different time points, in patients with acute neurological disorders. Every score analyzed obtained good results, but it is suggested that the use of RAPS, MEWS, and MREMS should be preferred in the acute setting, for patients with neurological impairment.

National Survey: How Do We Approach the Patient at Risk of Clinical Deterioration outside the ICU in the Spanish Context?

BACKGROUND: Anticipating and avoiding preventable intrahospital cardiac arrest and clinical deterioration are important priorities for international healthcare systems and institutions. One of the internationally followed strategies to improve this matter is the introduction of the Rapid Response Systems (RRS). Although there is vast evidence from the international community, the evidence reported in a Spanish context is scarce. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional research consisting of a voluntary 31-question online survey was performed. The Spanish Society of Intensive, Critical and Coronary Care Medicine (SEMICYUC) supported the research. RESULTS: We received 62 fully completed surveys distributed within 13 of the 17 regions and two autonomous cities of Spain. Thirty-two of the participants had an established Rapid Response Team (RRT). Common frequency on measuring vital signs was at least once per shift but other frequencies were contemplated (48.4%), usually based on professional criteria (69.4%), as only 12 (19.4%) centers used Early Warning Scores (EWS) or automated alarms on abnormal parameters. In the sample, doctors, nurses (55%), and other healthcare professionals (39%) could activate the RRT via telephone, but only 11.3% of the sample enacted this at early signs of deterioration. The responders on the RRT are the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), doctors, and nurses, who are available 24/7 most of the time. Concerning the education and training of general ward staff and RRT members, this varies from basic to advanced and specific-specialized level, simulating a growing educational methodology among participants. A great number of participants have emergency resuscitation equipment (drugs, airway adjuncts, and defibrillators) in their general wards. In terms of quality improvement, only half of the sample registered RRT activity indicators. In terms of the use of communication and teamwork techniques, the most used is clinical debriefing in 29 centers. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of the concept of RRS, we found in our context that we are in the early stages of the establishment process, as it is not yet a generalized concept in most of our hospitals. The centers that have it are in still in the process of maturing the system and adapting themselves to our context.

Gender Differences in Anxiety, Attitudes, and Fear among Nursing Undergraduates Coping with CPR Training with PPE Kit for COVID.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes, fears, and anxiety level of nursing students faced with a critical clinical simulation (cardiopulmonary reanimation) with and without personal protective equipment (PPE). METHODS: A pilot before-after study as conducted from 21 to 25 June 2021, with 24 students registered in the nursing degree of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Castilla-La Mancha University (UCLM) in the city of Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, Spain). From 520 possible participants, only 24 were selected according to the exclusion and inclusion criteria. The STAI Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a self-evaluation questionnaire, was used to study trait STAI (basal anxiety), trait STAI before CPR, state STAI after CPR, total STAI before CPR, and total STAI after CPR as the main variables. A t-test was used to study the STAI variables according to sex and the physiological values related to the anxiety level of participants. An ANOVA statistical test was used to perform a data analysis of the STAI variables. RESULTS: A total of 54.2% of participants (IC 95% 35.1-72.1) suffered from global anxiety before the cardiopulmonary reanimation maneuvers (CPR). The results of the STAI before CPR maneuvers showed significant differences according to gender in state anxiety (p = 0.04), with a higher level of anxiety in women (22.38 ± 7.69 vs. 15.82 ± 7.18). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates different levels of anxiety in terms of gender suffered by nursing students in high-pressure environments, such as a CPR situation.

Performing Simulated Basic Life Support without Seeing: Blind vs. Blindfolded People.

Previous pilot experience has shown the ability of visually impaired and blind people (BP) to learn basic life support (BLS), but no studies have compared their abilities with blindfolded people (BFP) after participating in the same instructor-led, real-time feedback training. Twenty-nine BP and 30 BFP participated in this quasi-experimental trial. Training consisted of a 1 h theoretical and practical training session with an additional 30 min afterwards, led by nurses with prior experience in BLS training of various collectives. Quantitative quality of chest compressions (CC), AED use and BLS sequence were evaluated by means of a simulation scenario. BP's median time to start CC was less than 35 s. Global and specific components of CC quality were similar between groups, except for compression rate (BFP: 123.4 + 15.2 vs. BP: 110.8 + 15.3 CC/min; p = 0.002). Mean compression depth was below the recommended target in both groups, and optimal CC depth was achieved by 27.6% of blind and 23.3% of blindfolded people (p = 0.288). Time to discharge was significantly longer in BFP than BP (86.0 + 24.9 vs. 66.0 + 27.0 s; p = 0.004). Thus, after an adapted and short training program, blind people were revealed to have abilities comparable to those of blindfolded people in learning and performing the BLS sequence and CC.

Role of SpO2/FiO2 Ratio and ROX Index in Predicting Early Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19. A Pragmatic, Retrospective, Multi-Center Study.

The ability of COVID-19 to compromise the respiratory system has generated a substantial proportion of critically ill patients in need of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The objective of this paper was to analyze the prognostic ability of the pulse oximetry saturation/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (SpO2/FiO2) and the ratio of SpO2/FiO2 to the respiratory rate-ROX index-as predictors of IMV in an emergency department in confirmed COVID-19 patients. A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was carried out in four provinces of Spain between March and November 2020. The discriminative power of the predictive variable was assessed through a prediction model trained using a derivation sub-cohort and evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) on the validation sub-cohort. A total of 2040 patients were included in the study. The IMV rate was 10.1%, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 35.3%. The performance of the SpO2/FiO2 ratio was better than the ROX index-AUC = 0.801 (95% CI 0.746-0.855) and AUC = 0.725 (95% CI 0.652-0.798), respectively. In fact, a direct comparison between AUCs resulted in significant differences (p = 0.001). SpO2 to FiO2 ratio is a simple and promising non-invasive tool for predicting risk of IMV in patients infected with COVID-19, and it is realizable in emergency departments.

Schoolteachers as candidates to be basic life support trainers: A simulation trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to assess future schoolteachers' basic life support (BLS) knowledge and willingness to include this content in school lessons. The aim was also to determine the learning effect of a brief BLS hands-on training session, supported by real-time feedback. METHODS: A convenience sample of 98 University students of Educational Sciences and Sports were recruited. The training program consisted of brief theoretical and hands-on interactive sessions with a 2/10 instructor/participants ratio. Knowledge and willingness was assessed by means of a survey. Chest compressions (CC) and ventilation quality were registered in 47 cases during 1 min cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) tests. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent of subjects declared to know how to perform CPR, 62% knew the correct chest compression/ventilation ratio but only one in four knew the CC quality standards. Eighty-eight percent knew what an automated external defibrillator (AED) was; willingness to use the device improved from 70% to 98% after training. Almost half of CCs were performed atan adequate rate. Men performed deeper compressions than women (56.1 ± 4.03 mm vs. 52.17 ± 5.51 mm, p = 0.007), but in both cases the mean value was within recommendations. Full chest recoil was better in women (72.2 ± 32.8% vs. 45.4 ± 32.9%, p = 0.009). All CCs were delivered with correct hand positions. CONCLUSIONS: Brief hands-on training supported by real-time feedback of CPR quality helps future schoolteachers improve their knowledge, self-confidence and CPR skills. BLS training should be implemented in University curricula for schoolteachers in order to promote their engagement in effective BLS training of schoolchildren.

[Learning to use semiautomatic external defibrillators through audiovisual materials for schoolchildren]. / Aprendizaje del uso del desfibrilador semiautomático mediante métodos audiovisuales en escolares.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the ability of schoolchildren to use a automated external defibrillator (AED) to provide an effective shock and their retention of the skill 1 month after a training exercise supported by audiovisual materials. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental controlled study in 205 initially untrained schoolchildren aged 6 to 16 years old. SAEDs were used to apply shocks to manikins. The students took a baseline test (T0) of skill, and were then randomized to an experimental or control group in the first phase (T1). The experimental group watched a training video, and both groups were then retested. The children were tested in simulations again 1 month later (T2). RESULTS: A total of 196 students completed all 3 phases. Ninety-six (95.0%) of the secondary school students and 54 (56.8%) of the primary schoolchildren were able to explain what a SAED is. Twenty of the secondary school students (19.8%) and 8 of the primary schoolchildren (8.4%) said they knew how to use one. At T0, 78 participants (39.8%) were able to simulate an effective shock. At T1, 36 controls (34.9%) and 56 experimental-group children (60.2%) achieved an effective shock (P< .001). At T2, 53 controls (51.4%) and 61 experimental-group children (65.6%) gave effective shocks (P=.045). All the students completed the tests in 120 seconds. Their average times decreased with each test. The secondary school students achieved better results. CONCLUSION: Previously untrained secondary school students know what a AED is and half of them can manage to use one in simulations. Brief narrative, audiovisual instruction improves students' skill in managing a SAED and helps them retain what they learned for later use.

OBJETIVO: Valorar la capacidad de los escolares para simular una descarga efectiva con un desfibrilador externo semiautomático (DEA) y la retención de la habilidad al mes tras una actividad formativa basada en un video. METODO: Estudio cuasiexperimental con grupo control en 205 escolares de 6 a 16 años sin formación previa. Se realizaron simulaciones con maniquíes y DEA. En una fase inicial (T0) los sujetos realizaron un test basal de competencia. En la fase 1 (T1) se aleatorizaron los grupos experimental (GE) y control (GC); el GE visualizó el video formativo y ambos grupos fueron evaluados. Un mes después se reevaluaron ambos grupos (T2). RESULTADOS: Ciento noventa y seis participantes completaron las 3 fases, 96 (95,0%) alumnos de secundaria y 54 (56,8%) de primaria supieron decir qué es un DEA, 20 (19,8%) de secundaria y 8 (8,4%) de primaria afirmaron saber usarlo. En T0, 78 (39,8%) participantes consiguieron simular una descarga efectiva; en T1, 36 (34,9%) del GC y 56 (60,2%) del GE (p < 0,001); en T2 53 (51,4%) del GC y 61 (65,6%) del GE (p = 0,045). Todos completaron las pruebas en menos de 120 segundos y el tiempo medio fue menor en cada test. Los alumnos de secundaria obtuvieron mejores resultados. CONCLUSIONES: Los escolares de secundaria sin formación previa saben qué es un DEA y la mitad es capaz de utilizarlo en un escenario simulado. Una formación basada en un video narrativo breve mejora la capacidad de los escolares para manejar un DEA y retener dicha habilidad un mes después.

Automated external defibrillation skills by naive schoolchildren.

AIM: Early defibrillation should achieve the highest survival rates when applied within the first minutes after the collapse. Public access defibrillation programs have increased the population awareness of the importance of defibrillation. Schoolchildren should be trained in basic life support (BLS) skills and some countries have included BLS in their school syllabus. However, little is known of the current knowledge and ability of schoolchildren to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). METHODS: A multicentric descriptive study, 1295 children from 6 to 16 years of age without previous BLS or AED training. Subjects performed a simulation with an AED and a manikin with no training or feedback and were evaluated by means of a checklist. RESULTS: A total of 258 participants (19.9%) were able to simulate an effective and safe defibrillation in less than 3min and 52 (20.1% of this group) performed it successfully. A significant correlation between objective and age group was observed (G=0.172) (p<0.001). The average time to deliver a shock was 83.3±26.4s; that time decreased significantly with age [6 YO (108.3±40.4) vs. 16 YO (64.7±18.6)s] (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Around 20% of schoolchildren without prior training are able to use an AED correctly in less than 3min following the device's acoustic and visual instructions. However, only one-fifth of those who showed success managed to complete the procedure satisfactorily. These facts should be considered in order to provide a more accurate definition and effective implementation of BLS/AED teaching and training at schools.

Quality of chest compressions by Down syndrome people: a pilot trial.

INTRODUCTION: Immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is essential for survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Down syndrome (DS) citizens have improved their active engagement in society. The objective of this pilot trial was to investigate if they are able to perform quality chest compression-only CPR after a brief training. METHODS: Nineteen DS young people (15-30 year old) and 20 University level subjects (18-29 year old) were trained by means of a short video and a brief hands-on session on manikins, to perform chest compression-only CPR. All participants were naïve in CPR. Chest compression (CC) quality (percentage of correct CC, CC rate and depth and chest complete release) was measured during a 2min test. CPR quality goal was according to 2010 European Resuscitation Council guidelines. RESULTS: DS people had similar weight, lower height and a higher BMI than controls. They were able to deliver chest compression-only CPR but with higher mean CC rate (140±30 vs 123±12CC/min, p=0.03), less mean CC depth (35.4±10.3 vs 47.2±9.6mm, p=0.03) and lower % of full correct CC (13±18 vs 39±37, p=0.02) than controls. Differences were maintained when first and second minute of test were compared. CONCLUSIONS: After a short instruction based on a brief video and hands-on session DS people were able to deliver CC but with poor quality.