Continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation training compared to single training by laypersons

Background. Compression-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (COCPR) has been broadly studied during the last few years and specially introduced into lay rescuers’ training. The aim of the study was to compare the quality of COCPR performed by laypersons (Group A) who attended a single cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training course, and those (Group B) who underwent regular CPR training every 6 months. Methods. Both groups completed the “Heartsaver CPR AED” course of the American Heart Association. After 30 minutes they were required to perform COCPR on a manikin with a skills reporter system. Results. Comparing the 76 once only trained laypersons to the 74 continuously trained lay rescuers, we found that average age (20 versus 40 years old), male gender (54% versus 93%), body mass index (BMI) (24.9 versus 27.3 kg/m2) and regular physical exercise (55% versus 36%) proved significant predictors, p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.01 and p=0.04 respectively. Regarding COCPR-quality, the percentage of efficient chest compressions (43% versus 58%), average depth of compression (45 versus 50 mm) and percentage of error-free compressions (36% versus 50%) indicated a significant statistical difference, with p=0.01, p=0.01 and p