Use of a computerized advanced cardiac life support simulator improves retention of advanced cardiac life support guidelines better than a textbook review

Objective: To determine whether an advanced cardiac life sup port (ACLS) co mputer simulation program improves retention of ACLS guidelines more effect ively than textbook review. Design: Randomized, controlled trial. Setting: Academic medical center. Participants: Forty-five anesthesia residents and faculty tested 10 to 11 m onths after ACLS provider course training, Intervention: Participants were randomized and asked to prepare for a mock resuscitation (Mega Code) with either textbooks or a computerized ACLS simu lation program, Main Outcome Measure: Performance on a standardized Mega Code examination t hat required application of supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibri llation, and second-degree Type ii atrio ventricular block algorithms. Mega Code sessions were administered by an instructor who was blinded as to the subject group, The sessions were videotaped and scored by two evaluators w ho also were blinded as to the subject group. Results: Participants who used the ACLS simulation program scored significa ntly higher (mean 34.9 +/- 5.0 [SD] of 47 possible points) than participant s who reviewed using a textbook (29.2 +/- 4.9); p <.001, Pass fail rates fo r the algorithms were also higher for the group that reviewed with the simu lator (mean 2.5 +/- 0.5 of 3 possible passes) than the group that used the textbook (1.6 +/-. 1.0); p=.001, Conclusions: Use of a computerized ACLS simulation program improves retenti on of ACLS guidelines better than textbook review.