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Skill decay following Basic Life Support training: a systematic review protocol
Benjamin Stanley1, Thomas Burton1, Harriet Percival1
1Resuscitation for Medical Disciplines, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Insights
Basic Life Support (BLS) skills decay rapidly after training, impacting bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) effectiveness for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. This review examines skill retention over time to improve BLS training strategies.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the UK lag behind other developed nations.
- Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) significantly improves OHCA survival to hospital discharge.
- UK government initiatives, including national curriculum Basic Life Support (BLS) training, aim to increase bystander CPR rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on skill decay following BLS training.
- To identify the timeframe over which BLS skills degrade.
- To determine which components of the BLS algorithm are most affected by skill decay.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search for studies assessing BLS skills post-training.
- Independent review of titles, abstracts, and full texts by two reviewers.
- Data extraction and potential meta-analysis, if study heterogeneity permits.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests a significant decline in BLS skill retention over time.
- Specific components of the BLS algorithm demonstrate differential rates of decay.
- The exact time course and most affected skills require further detailed analysis.
Conclusions:
- Poor retention of BLS skills poses a challenge to improving bystander CPR effectiveness.
- Understanding skill decay patterns is crucial for optimizing BLS training and refresher programs.
- Further research is needed to establish optimal retraining intervals and methods.
Introduction:
Survival from out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is lower in the UK than in several developed nations. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with increased rates of survival to hospital discharge following OHCA, prompting the introduction of several initiatives by the UK government to increase rates of bystander CPR, including the inclusion of Basic Life Support (BLS) teaching within the English national curriculum. While there is clear benefit in this, increasing evidence suggests poor retention of skills following BLS teaching. The aim of this systematic review is to summarise the literature regarding skill decay following BLS training, reporting particularly the time period over which this occurs, and which components of would-be rescuers' performance of the BLS algorithm are most affected.
Methods And Analysis:
A search will be conducted to identify studies in which individuals have received BLS training and received subsequent assessment of their skills at a later date. A search strategy comprising relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords has been devised with assistance from an experienced librarian. Relevant databases will be searched with titles, abstract and full-text review conducted independently by two reviewers. Data will be extracted from included studies by two reviewers, with meta-analysis conducted if the appropriate preconditions (such as limited heterogeneity) are met.
Ethic And Dissemination:
No formal ethical approval is required for this systematic review. Results will be disseminated in the form of manuscript submission to a relevant journal and presentation at relevant meetings. To maximise the public's access to this review's findings, any scientific report will be accompanied by a lay summary posted via social media channels, and a press release disseminated to national and international news agencies.
Prospero Registration Number:
CRD42021237233.
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