A Comparison Study: Frequency and Duration of Two BLS Courses to Determine CPR Skill Retention and Competence

Significance of ProblemCardiac arrests present a significant global health problem and are the leading cause of death annually [1].Healthcare workers as well as laypersons must be trained effectively in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to learn and retain skills over time.CPR skill retention is vitally important on successful resuscitation outcomes.CPR skill retention has been shown to significantly decline over time.Overall, the quality of CPR skills including accuracy of compression rate and depth, correct hand placement, and ventilation quality declines rapidly when skills are not regularly practiced and refreshed [2][3][4][5][6].In one study, adults who participated in various forms of initial CPR certification classes experienced a significant performance decline in CPR skills in as little as two months following initial CPR instruction [7].Another study found that CPR skills can begin to decline in as little as two weeks following CPR training [4].Thus, retention of CPR skills after initial CPR training is a key determinant to the maintenance of CPR competency.