JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is rarely performed by dental staff. The availability of automated external defibrillators (AED) is increasing. Personal tutor training with a manikin is the most common way to teach CPR. But internet-learning approaches, such as video-based teaching, are gaining popularity.

Objective:

This pilot study has been designed to compare the performance of CPR after two teaching methods in a simulated cardiac arrest situation. A personal tutor demonstration was compared with a web-based video demonstration. The main hypothesis was that more than 70% of the participants of the tutor-instructed group would start CPR within 10 seconds (s), while only up to 30% of the participants of the web-based video-instructed group would start within this time.

Methods:

One group of dental students received a 5.5 minutes (min) AED-CPR demonstration by a tutor on a manikin (T-/control group n=23 teams of two). A second group watched a 7min web-based AED-CPR instruction video (W-/intervention group n=23 teams of two). No repetition was offered, no questions or practice allowed. CPR performance was video-recorded and analyzed by two examiners.

Results:

No differences concerning the onset and quality of CPR were found. Students started CPR after detection of cardiac arrest with a minimum delay (median=6s (T)/6s (W); IQR=5/7; P=.52). Tidal volume and chest compression depths were insufficient in both groups (tidal volume: median=14 milliliters (ml) (T)/58ml (W); IQR=218.5/148.5; P=.9; depths: median=30 millimeters (mm) (T)/20mm (W); IQR=12.5/10; P=.02). Tutor-instructed teams compressed deeper, but both groups did not meet the recommended standard. Chest compression rate was in the recommended interval (median=113 (T)/111 compressions/minute (W); IQR=24.5/20; P=.46). More students of the web-based video-instructed group had problems using the AED (T=7 teams; W=14; P=.04) but all except one team continued CPR. They did not focus on the problems with the AED and were able to trigger a shock (T=21 teams; W=19; P=.38). Restart of CPR after the shock within 10s was achieved at almost equal time intervals (median=5s (T)/6s (W); IQR=3/4; P=.54).

Conclusions:

Dental students can acquire basic knowledge in AED-assisted CPR in similar quality by a short web-based video simulation compared with a short demonstration by a tutor. Contrary to expectations, most parameters of CPR and AED performance quality of web-based video-instructed group were not different to students of the tutor-instructed group. The recommended tidal volume had not been achieved in both groups. Chest compression depth seems to be a parameter that has been more difficult to teach to the web-based video-instructed group. No delays of standard CPR measures were observed after detection of cardiac arrest in both groups. The use of the AED did not distract the attention of the rescuers from the simulated patient. Clinical Trial: DRKS00012404