Board #120 - Research Abstract Use of a Commercially Available High-fidelity Mannequin with QCPR as a Realistic Model to Simulate Sudden Cardiac Arrest in a Collapsed Athlete (Submission #9334)

Abstract

Hypothesis Because of the rarity of sudden cardiac arrest, it is difficult to prepare sports medicine personnel to recognize and manage the distressed athlete. There is no teaching model that simulates a real-life, on-site situation. Without use, proficiency attained in a one-day CPR course quickly attenuates. This project was undertaken to develop a sudden cardiac arrest training scenario using a commercially available high-fidelity simulator. Further, our purpose was to determine if an education program based on utilization of this model would improve ATCs speed of assessment, effectiveness of resuscitation and timeliness of AED acquisition and utilization. Methods Nineteen ATC’s from two Division I Universities underwent training and assessment of a simulated cardiac arrest scenario utilizing the Laerdal SimMan 3G simulator, a commercially available mannequin with a built-in Quality of CPR (QCPR) measurement device. Participants were athletic training staff and Graduate athletic teaching assistants certified in Basic Life Support. The initial (pretest) simulation was conducted in-situ with an athlete having chest pain in the exam room. Initially, the simulated patient was stable and rapidly progressed to an unconscious state. Available equipment included a trainer field bag and AED. The timing of resuscitative tasks was collected as data points via Laerdal’s debriefing log and analyzed using a paired t-test. The simulation educational program included a didactic component coupled with CPR practice with real-time feedback on accurate compression depth and rate utilizing the mannequin’s QCPR feature. Post-test simulation assessment was conducted two months after the education program. Results Nine of the twelve data points collected demonstrated improvement in times (P <0.05) in the post-test following the education program for Athletic Trainers. The nine data points included: pulse check, initiation of CPR, call 911, attachment of AED, analyzing with AED, defibrillation and CPR compression depth. No significant improvements were observed in times related to assessment of breathing and initiation of ventilations. Upon presentation of the simulated collapsed athlete, a decrease in intervention times was seen across the data points and chest compression rate and depth improved following the education program. Conclusion While there is no substitute for real-life experience, commercially available high-fidelity mannequins capable of delivering QCPR feedback appear to be an effective teaching and assessment tool for evaluation of sudden cardiac arrest in a collapsed athlete. This study demonstrates that an education program with ATCs improves reaction times and performance in management of sudden cardiac arrest using this high-fidelity manikin model system. Following this study, both Division I Universities have incorporated high-fidelity manikin-based scenarios into their annual basic life support education. Further studies should be considered with two aims; one in which the ATCs receive a typical BLS course and one which complements with high-fidelity simulation to determine knowledge and skill retention.