An effort to reduce chest compression pauses during automated external defibrillator use among laypeople: A randomized partially blinded controlled trial

Abstract

Aim To implement small methodological changes in basic life support (BLS) training to reduce unnecessary pauses during automated external defibrillator (AED) use. Methods One hundred and two university students with no BLS knowledge were randomly allocated into three groups (control and 2 experimental groups). Both experimental groups received a two-hour BLS training. While the contents were identical in both groups, in one of them the reduction of no-flow time was focused on (focused no-flow group). The control group did not receive any training. Finally, all of them were evaluated in the same out-of-hospital cardiac arrest simulated scenario. The primary endpoint was the compression fraction. Results Results from 78 participants were analysed (control group: 19; traditional group: 30; focused no-flow group: 29). The focused no-flow group achieved higher percentages of compression fraction (median: 56.0, interquartile rank (IQR): 53.5–58.5) than the traditional group (44.0, IQR: 42.0–47.0) and control group (52.0, IQR: 43.0–58.0) in the complete scenario. Participants from the control group performed compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), while the other groups performed compression-ventilation CPR. CPR fraction was calculated, showing the fraction of time in which the participants were performing resuscitation manoeuvres. In this case, the focused no-flow group reached higher percentages of CPR fraction (77.6, IQR: 74.4–82.4) than the traditional group (61.9, IQR: 59.3–68.1) and the control group (52.0, IQR: 43.0–58.0). Conclusions Laypeople having automated external defibrillation training focused on acting in anticipation of the AED prompts contributed to a reduction in chest compression pauses during an OHCA simulated scenario.