Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: errors made by pre-hospital emergency medical personnel

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the CPR techniques of emer gency healthcare professionals (emergency medical technicians, firemen, eme rgency first responders, CPR instructors). Skills were evaluated using a La erdal Skillmeter Manikin(R), which provided a computerized printout of the quantifiable data during the CPR sequence. All of the 66 subjects in the st udy had completed a recertification course within the last 2 years (mean = 0.86 +/- 0.18, 95% CI). The sequence was videotaped for later viewing and f or correlating the errors with the data. In addition, the participants were required to fill in a questionnaire. The most frequently occurring errors were observed in landmarking, overcompression, palpating a carotid pulse an d insufficient ventilation. Although 98.5% of participants made an attempt to landmark their position for compression on the sternum, 35.9% of the tot al compressions performed by all subjects were incorrectly positioned on th e patient's chest. Overcompression of the patient's chest accounted for 55. 3% of incorrect compressions. Although 94% of participants attempted to ver ify a carotid pulse, only 45% were able to feel it and therefore stop perfo rming cardiac massage. Of the total ventilations, 49% were below the Americ an Heart Association (AHA) recommended minimum (800 ml). The results of thi s study showed a high rate of errors occurring in the CPR provided by emerg ency healthcare professionals. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All r ights reserved.