Automated external defibrillator training and skills maintenance in Air Force emergency medical services systems

In April 1989, we initiated a test program to evaluate the use of semi-automated external defibrillators in five United States Air Force Medical Treatment Facilities. The objectives of the study were 2-fold. First, the feasibility of conducting a uniform training program in a number of geographically separated basic life support emergency medical services (EMS) systems was assessed. The second objective was evaluation of psychomotor skills maintenance by Air Force Emergency Department emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in simulated resuscitations 6 months after initial training. Performance was evaluated in each of six areas for the 48 EMTs completing retesting. Forty-three of the 48 EMTs were assessed to have properly completed the resuscitations. Three of the remaining five failed to clear prior to defibrillating, and in two cases the delivery of three defibrillatory shocks was delayed for 6-8 minutes from the time of arrival at the patient's side. These results demonstrate the feasibility of providing training and maintaining proficiency in military EMS systems.