Ability of code leaders to recall CPR quality errors during the resuscitation of older children and adolescents

Performance of high quality CPR is associated with improved resuscitation outcomes. This study investigates code leader ability to recall CPR error during post-event interviews when CPR recording/audiovisual feedback-enabled defibrillators are deployed.

Physician code leaders were interviewed within 24h of 44 in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrests to assess their ability to recall if CPR error occurred during the event. Actual CPR quality was assessed using quantitative recording/feedback-enabled defibrillators. CPR error was defined as an overall average event chest compression (CC) rate <95/min, depth < 38 mm, ventilation rate >10/min, or any interruptions in CPR >10s. We hypothesized that code leaders would recall error when it actually occurred ≥ 75% of the time when assisted by audiovisual alerts from a CPR recording feedback-enabled defibrillators (analysis by χ(2)).

810 min from 44 cardiac arrest events yielded 40 complete data sets (actual and interview); ventilation data was available in 24. Actual CPR error was present in 3/40 events for rate, 4/40 for depth, 32/40 for interruptions >10s, and 17/24 for ventilation frequency. In post-event interviews, code leaders recalled these errors in 0/3 (0%) for rate, 0/4 (0%) for depth, and 19/32 (59%) for interruptions >10s. Code leaders recalled these CPR quality errors less than 75% of the time for rate (p=0.06), for depth (p<0.01), and for CPR interruption (p=0.04). Quantification of errors not recalled: missed rate error median=94 CC/min (IQR 93-95), missed depth error median=36 mm (IQR 35.5-36.5), missed CPR interruption >10s median=18s (IQR 14.4-28.9). Code leaders did recall the presence of excessive ventilation in 16/17 (94%) of events (p=0.07).

Despite assistance by CPR recording/feedback-enabled defibrillators, pediatric code leaders fail to recall important CPR quality errors for CC rate, depth, and interruptions during post-cardiac arrest interviews.