Assessment of the Quality of Chest Compressions Performed by Health-Care Workers Under Simulated Conditions

Abstract

Aim of the study: to investigate chest compression parameters by city hospital staff under simulated conditions with and without the use of a sensor device for quality control of chest compressions.Materials and Methods. The study was conducted in Moscow's multidisciplinary hospitals. The study included 359 medical staff members. The participants were divided into 4 groups: physicians (n=97) and nurses (n=82) from intensive care units (ICU) and physicians (n=92) and nurses (n=88) from specialized departments. Participants performed 2 minutes of chest compressions without a chest compressions quality control (CCQC) sensor, followed by 2 minutes of chest compressions using a defibrillator sensor with audiovisual prompts from the device turned on. The percentage of target compressions, rate and depth of compressions were analyzed.Results. Compression parameters in the group of ICU doctors were outside the reference range (% target compression — 0.5 (0.0; 14.5)%, rate 124.1±17.8 per minute, depth 5.6±1.1 cm), in the group of ICU nurses, the percentage of target compressions was 0.0 (0.0; 3.5)%, rate — 123.6±23.7 per minute, depth — 5.3±1.2 cm, in the group of specialist doctors the percentage of target compressions was 0.0 (0.0; 1.2) %, rate — 123.8±23.2 per minute, depth — 5.8±1.2 cm, in specialized nurses group the percentage of target compressions was 0.0 (0.0; 6.1)%, rate — 119.7±29.5 per minute, depth — 5.6±1.2 cm. There was a significant improvement in compression performance in all groups when the sensor device was used: in ICU physicians the percentage of target compressions was 81.6 (64.80; 87.90)%, rate — 124.1±17.8 per minute, depth — 5.5±0.2 cm; in ICU nurses the percentage of target compressions was 69.1 (47.4; 80.6), rate — 123.6±23.7 per minute, depth — 5.3±0.3 cm, in specialist doctors the percentage of target compressions was 69.30 (50.50; 78.70), rate — 123.8±23.2 per minute, depth — 5.4±0.3 cm, in specialized nurses the percentage of target compressions reached 63.70 (42.90; 75.80), rate — 119.7±29.5 per minute, depth — 5.4±0.3 cm. There were no differences in analysed compression parameters between staff in different departments or positions.Conclusion. Compression parameters (percentage of target compressions, rate, depth) were not influenced by the department where the staff member worked and the position held (doctor or nurse). The use of a compression quality sensor device has improved compression parameters by reducing rate and normalizing depth. The use of the sensor does not increase the percentage of target compressions to the maximum values, indicating the need for training by an instructor.

Keywords

• chest compressions
• rate of compressions
• depth of compressions