Abstract
Background: For every minute CPR is delayed, the probability of survival decreases by up to 10%. For this reason, guidelines recommend routine CPR training for health care providers to improve their performance and patient results. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the retention capacity of postgraduate students of Critical Areas of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador following a theoretical-practical course in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). Methods: A total of 140 students were recruited and divided into three groups according to studied subject: Emergency Medicine and Disasters, Anesthesiology, and Critical Medicine. A theoretical-practical course was carried out, and theoretical and practical skills were assessed immediately and subsequently one month after ACLS training. For statistical analysis, measures of central tendency, one-way ANOVA, T-test and ANCOVA were used. Results: Scores for the immediate theoretical exam were 58.6% immediately after the intervention vs 40% 30 days after the intervention; in the immediate practical exam this was 77% vs 35.7%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found between the three groups for the initial practical examination; however, for the evaluation 30 days after training a significant difference was found between Anesthesiology and the other two postgraduate studies. Conclusions: Knowledge and practical skills in ACLS of postgraduate physicians of Critical Areas deteriorate 30 days after training, especially in practical skills compared with theoretical knowledge. The results of this research indicate that it is necessary to carry out update courses more frequently, in order to keep knowledge and skills at a level that guarantees adequate care to the patient to reduce potential risk of death or disability.
Highlights
Deaths related with cardiovascular disease occur at earlier ages in developing countries
It was observed that these differences were between the Emergencies and Disasters and Anesthesiology groups (p< 0.05), as well as between the Critical Medicine and the Anesthesiology groups (p = 0.027)
For the second theoretical test score (30 days after the Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) course), a statistical difference was seen between the Emergencies and Disasters and Anesthesiology groups (p < 0.05), and the Critical Medicine and Anesthesiology groups (p= 0.020), but not between the Emergencies and Disasters and Critical Medicine groups (p= 0.539)
Summary
Deaths related with cardiovascular disease occur at earlier ages in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, the mortality rate in the Americas in 2016 with regard to ischemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus was 63.1, 35.2 and 33.5, respectively, out of 1000,0001. Between the years 2010 and 2013, ischemic heart diseases were the leading cause of death in the Americas (10.99%), followed by cerebrovascular diseases (6.70%) and diabetes mellitus (5.49%)[2]. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the retention capacity of postgraduate students of Critical Areas of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador following a theoretical-practical course in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). No statistically significant difference was found between the three groups for the initial practical examination; for the evaluation 30 days after training a significant difference was found between Anesthesiology and the other two postgraduate studies.
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