European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2010 Section 9. Principles of education in resuscitation

doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2010.08.014

Resuscitation

Volume 81, Issue 10, October 2010, Pages 1434-1444

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2010.08.014 Get rights and content

Introduction

Survival from cardiac arrest is determined by the quality of the scientific evidence behind the guidelines, the effectiveness of education and the resources for implementation of the guidelines.¹ An additional factor is how readily guidelines can be applied in clinical practice and the effect of human factors on putting the theory into practice.² Implementation of Guidelines 2010 is likely to be more successful with a carefully planned, comprehensive implementation strategy that includes education. Delays in providing training materials and freeing staff for training were cited as reasons for delays in the implementation of the 2005 guidelines.3, 4

This chapter includes the key educational issues identified by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) evidence evaluation,⁵ discusses the scientific basis of basic and advanced level resuscitation training and provides an update on the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) life support courses.⁶

Section snippets

Key educational recommendations

The key issues identified by the Education, Implementation and Teams (EIT) task force of ILCOR during the Guidelines 2010 evidence evaluation process⁵ that are relevant to this chapter are:

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Educational interventions should be evaluated to ensure that they reliably achieve the learning objectives. The aim is to ensure that learners acquire and retain the skills and knowledge that will enable them to act correctly in actual cardiac arrests and improve patient outcomes.
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Short video/computer

Who and how to train

Ideally all citizens should have some knowledge of CPR. There is insufficient evidence for or against the use of training interventions that focus on high risk populations. However, training can reduce family member and, or patient anxiety, improve emotional adjustment and empowers individuals to feel that they would be able to start CPR.⁵

People that require resuscitation training range from laypeople, those without formal healthcare training but with a role that places a duty of care upon them

Basic level and AED training

Bystander CPR and early defibrillation saves lives. Many factors decrease the willingness of bystanders to start CPR, including panic, fear of disease, harming the victim or performing CPR incorrectly.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Providing CPR training to laypeople increases willingness to perform CPR.12, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

CPR training and doing CPR during an actual cardiac arrest is safe in most circumstances. Individuals undertaking CPR

Advanced level training curriculum

Advanced level training is usually for healthcare providers. Curricula should be tailored to match individual learning needs, patient case mix and the individual's role within the healthcare systems response to cardiac arrest. There is limited evidence about specific interventions that enhance learning and retention from advanced level life support courses. The ERC Advanced Life Support (ALS) course following Guidelines 2005 has been shown to reduce “no-flow” fraction but not other elements of

European Resuscitation Council resuscitation courses

The ERC has a portfolio of training courses that aim to equip learners with the ability to undertake resuscitation in a real clinical situation at the level that they would be expected to perform – be they laypeople, first responders in the community or the hospital, or a healthcare professional working for an EMS, on a general ward, in an acute area, or as a member of a resuscitation team.

ERC courses focus on teaching in small groups using interactive discussion and hands-on practice for