Resuscitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Trials of teaching methods in basic life support (3): comparison of simulated CPR performance after first training and at 6 months, with a note on the value of re-training.
A randomised controlled trial comparing staged teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with conventional training provided the additional opportunity to investigate skill acquisition and retention in those attending conventional CPR classes. All subjects were tested immediately after their first instruction period and again at 6-9 months at an unheralded home visit. We were able to assess how far performance was related to poor acquisition of skills and how far it was related to skill decay. ⋯ This improvement was significant for only two of them, but all were relatively small with limited practical value. Many who attend conventional CPR classes fail to acquire the necessary skills, and the skills that are acquired decline appreciably over the subsequent 6-9 months. The value of conventional re-training was modest in this study of community volunteers.