Impact of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in 1st year of MBBS

Abstract

Background: The present medical education system fails to inculcate appropriate skills and competence to the students to serve the community. As the world is moving toward the system of “need-based education,” the training of the undergraduates should be oriented toward acquiring practical skills to prepare them to confidently deal with emergency situations in future. Objectives: The objective of this study is to estimate the impact of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in the 1st year of MBBS. Materials and Methods: The study included 150 MBBS 1st year students. The students were given formal training of CPR which included the lecture followed by a hands-on training of CPR on mannequins. The pre-and post-training assessment of the students was done using questionnaire. Assessment of the skill was done by direct observation of the procedure on a mannequin by a checklist. Results: The average pre-training score was 6.39 ± 2.11 and post-training score was 16.56 ± 1.89. The post-training scores of the student were remarkably better than the pre-training score (P < 0.001). According to the results of the assessment of skill by direct observation, students scored better initially in the first part, i.e., knowledge section and the score in the second part, i.e., skill demonstration improved gradually with practice. Conclusion: Training the MBBS students about CPR in 1st year itself is very useful and productive. Training the future health care provider in younger age and preparing them for the emergencies will lead to major reform in the health education system.