The Effects of Different Instructional CPR Method on the Acquisition and Retention of CPR Skills in Soldiers: A Controlled Randomized Trial

Background: The mortality rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is high and it's shown that bystander CPR increases the survival rate of these patients by two to three-folds. Several methods are introduced to improve the acquisition and retention of CPR-related knowledge learned in courses. Objectives: The current study aimed to compare three different methods of teaching CPR in terms of primary acquisition and retention of such skills in soldiers. Methods: This study was performed from November 2019 to February 2020 on selected duty male soldiers doing their military service. Participants were randomized into 1 of the following 4 groups: (1) A lecture-based, 30-minute class session followed by a one-hour practice on a manikin; (2) a 20-minute instructional video followed by a one-hour practice on a manikin; (3) a 20-minute instructional video without practice on a manikin (video only); and (4) no intervention. The performance and retention of CPR skills were assessed using a checklist by two referees. The preparation score, ABC score, and total score were assessed using this checklist. Results: Fifty male participants with a mean age of 22.44 ± 2.08 years were included. The median score of groups 1 - 3 increased significantly after the intervention compared to the pre-test results. Group 3 (video only) experienced the highest increment in the preparation score (2.30). Concerning the ABC and total scores, group 1 (class session) showed the highest increment of scores (22.70 and 24.82, respectively). Group 3 (video only) showed the most sustained results compared to groups 1 and 2 one month after the intervention. Conclusions: According to the results, the classroom session teaching with a manikin practice accompanied better acquisition of CPR skills. However, the retention of CPR skills is better maintained with a simple video-only method.