Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Evaluation of Knowledge, Efficacy, and Retention in Young Doctors Joining Postgraduation Program

BACKGROUND: High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rapid defibrillation the cornerstone for resuscitation from cardiac arrest and increase the incidence of return of spontaneous circulation. Regular CPR training imparted to health-care personnel increases knowledge and helps in skill enhancing. AIMS: The aim of this study is to evaluate background knowledge, percentage improvement in the skills, and residual knowledge after a period of 6 months of postgraduate (PG) students as well as the efficacy of the designed teaching program for CPR. DESIGN: The study type was interventional, nonrandomized with end point classification as efficacy study. Study Interventional model was single group assignment. METHODS: A questionnaire-based study was conducted on 41 first year PG students. Their educational qualification was Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The study was conducted; 3 months after, these PG students joined hospital for their PG studies. The questionnaire designed by the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care was given as the pretest (before the CPR training program was initiated), posttest (immediately after the CPR training program was concluded), and residual knowledge test (conducted after 6 months of the CPR training program). After collection of data, a descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate results. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was conducted for determining the test of significance using two-tailed, paired t-test. RESULTS: The average overall score was 25.58 (±5.605) marks out of a maximum of 40 marks in the pretest, i.e., 63.97%. It improved to 33.88 (±3.38) marks in posttest, i.e., 84.74%. After 6 months in the residual knowledge test, the score declined to 26.96 (±6.09) marks, i.e., 67.4%. CONCLUSION: The CPR training program being conducted was adequately efficacious, but a refresher course after 6 months could help taking the knowledge and skills acquired by our PG students a long way.