Confirmation of sudden cardiac arrest in different situations of patient management - analysis of the teams “actions during the Polish universities” championships in emergency medicine

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the confirmation of sudden cardiac arrest by team members during the tasks performed during the three editions of the “Polish Universities’ Championship in Emergency Medicine”. Material and methods: The study was based on an analysis of the evaluation sheets from the “Polish Universities’ Championship in Emergency Medicine” organized in 2015, 2017 and 2019 by the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Bielsko-Biala. The championships were attended by three-person teams of students, which could not include persons with medical training as well as those working in the Emergency Medical Service System. Results: The study showed that during task performance 87.20% of teams correctly confirmed SCA before starting CPR. Correct performance of this proce¬dure was not significantly influenced by the circumstances of SCA, the year of the task, the age of the patient, or the heart rhythm causing the SCA. Conclusions: The knowledge and skills of the participating in the championships team members, regarding confirmation of sudden cardiac arrest, appear to be at a satisfactory level. In order to minimize the risk that future medical personnel, will make while working with the patient mistakes that occur during the performance of tasks, more attention should be paid to the level of education in this important aspect.