Christos Kourek1, Robert Greif2, Georgios Georgiopoulos3, Maaret Castrén4, Bernd Böttiger5, Nicolas Mongardon6, Jochen Hinkelbein5, Francesc Carmona-Jiménez7, Andrea Scapigliati8, Michal Marchel9, György Bárczy10, Marc Van de Velde11, Juraj Koutun12, Elena Corrada13, Gert Jan Scheffer14, Dimitrios Dougenis15, Theodoros Xanthos16. 1. Clinical Ergospirometry, Exercise and Rehabilitation Laboratory, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. 2. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Therapy, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland. 3. Department of Clinical Therapeutics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. 4. Department of Emergency Medicine and Services, Helsinki University Hospital and Helsinki University, Finland. 5. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. 6. Service d'Anesthésie-Réanimation Chirurgicale, CHU Henri Mondor, France. 7. Sistema Emergencias Mediques (SEM), Barcelona, Spain. 8. Institute of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, A Gemelli University Hospital, Italy. 9. 1st Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. 10. Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Hungary. 11. Department Cardiovascular Sciences, KULeuven section Anesthesiology, Belgium. 12. 1st Department of Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. 13. Coronary Care Unit, Humanitas Research 29 Hospital, Italy. 14. Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Care, Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc), Netherlands. 15. Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Attikon University Hospital, Greece. 16. European University Cyprus, School of Medicine, Cyprus.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In-hospital cardiac arrest is a major cause of death in European countries, and survival of patients remains low ranging from 20% to 25%. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation among university hospitals in 12 European countries and correlate it with the return of spontaneous circulation rates of their patients after in-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 570 healthcare professionals from cardiology, anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine departments of European university hospitals in Italy, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Slovakia, Germany, Finland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France and Greece completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 12 questions based on epidemiology data and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and 26 multiple choice questions on cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge. Hospitals in Switzerland scored highest on basic life support (P=0.005) while Belgium hospitals scored highest on advanced life support (P<0.001) and total score in cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge (P=0.01). The Swiss hospitals scored highest in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (P<0.001). Correlation between cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and return of spontaneous circulation rates of patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest demonstrated that each additional correct answer on the advanced life support score results in a further increase in return of spontaneous circulation rates (odds ratio 3.94; 95% confidence interval 2.78 to 5.57; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Differences in knowledge about resuscitation and course attendance were found between university hospitals in 12 European countries. Education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation is considered to be vital for patients' return of spontaneous circulation rates after in-hospital cardiac arrest. A higher level of knowledge in advanced life support results in higher return of spontaneous circulation rates.
BACKGROUND: In-hospital cardiac arrest is a major cause of death in European countries, and survival of patients remains low ranging from 20% to 25%. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation among university hospitals in 12 European countries and correlate it with the return of spontaneous circulation rates of their patients after in-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 570 healthcare professionals from cardiology, anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine departments of European university hospitals in Italy, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Slovakia, Germany, Finland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France and Greece completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 12 questions based on epidemiology data and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and 26 multiple choice questions on cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge. Hospitals in Switzerland scored highest on basic life support (P=0.005) while Belgium hospitals scored highest on advanced life support (P<0.001) and total score in cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge (P=0.01). The Swiss hospitals scored highest in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (P<0.001). Correlation between cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and return of spontaneous circulation rates of patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest demonstrated that each additional correct answer on the advanced life support score results in a further increase in return of spontaneous circulation rates (odds ratio 3.94; 95% confidence interval 2.78 to 5.57; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Differences in knowledge about resuscitation and course attendance were found between university hospitals in 12 European countries. Education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation is considered to be vital for patients' return of spontaneous circulation rates after in-hospital cardiac arrest. A higher level of knowledge in advanced life support results in higher return of spontaneous circulation rates.
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Keywords:
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); advanced life support (ALS); basic life support (BLS); cardiac arrest; education