Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
HARVEY L. PRICE, JR., B.A.
Sixty-two physical therapy schools were surveyed regarding their teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Eighty-two percent of the schools responded to the questions and 27 percent indicated no such instruction. Included in this report is a copy of the questionnaire and the results of the survey. The recommendation is made that all physical therapists receive adequate training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and that their competency be confirmed by examination.
Increasingly, programs using physical therapy personnel in the rehabilitation of patients who have had a heart attack or who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are being developed in hospitals and clinics. These programs involve treatment of patients with already proven borderline cardiopulmonary systems. Physical therapy clinics are also seeing a higher percentage of patients who may suffer acute embarrassment of their cardiovascular centers, including patients who may suffer a cardiopulmonary crisis. With this trend in physical therapy becoming apparent, it seemed logical to ascertain, on a national basis, the present level of training in basic life support cardiopulmonary resuscita tion (CPR) in our physical therapy schools. In November 1973,1 sent a questionnaire concern ing the teaching of CPR to the directors of sixty-two physical therapy schools (Fig. 1). RESULTS By August 1974, fifty-one (82%) of the sixty-two questionnaires had been returned. When the replies were divided into negative and positive, the first question showed that four teen (27%) of fifty-one school programs had no Mr. Price is Director, Special Services Department, Josephine County General Hospital, Grants Pass, OR 97526.
744
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training questionnaire 1. Is there presently formal training in your cur riculum in the recognition and treatment of cardiopulmonary emergencies? Yes No 2. If "yes" to question #1: a. How many hours are there of classroom instruction? b. How many hours are there of clinical prac tice? c. Are resuscitation manikins utilized in the practice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation? Yes No d. Is there instruction in arrhythmia recognition? Yes No e. What is (are) the qualification(s) of the instructor(s)? f. How long have you had such training in your Physical Therapy School program? g. Do you think that the present training is adequate for what the student later en counters in the clinic and on the ward? Yes No 3. If "no" to question #1: Do you consider such training necessary for a Physical Therapy School program? Yes No Why? 4. Comments, if any:
Fig. 1. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation train ing questionnaire. PHYSICAL THERAPY
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/55/7/744/4567637 by Washington University, Law School Library user on 16 February 2019
A Survey of Instruction in Physical Therapy Schools
l
2
3
U
5
6 8 + * 0 | l 2 3 l i 6 8 + *
Hours i n c l a s s r o o m
Hours c l i n i c a l p r a c t i c e
1 2 3 U 5 6 7 8 + * Total combined hours
*Did not reply
Fig. 2. Hours of instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in thirty-seven physical therapy schools having such a training program. CPR program. Of these fourteen, seven schools indicated that the program was not necessary; the other seven said that it was. Figures 2 through 4 summarize the replies received from the thirty-seven schools which had a CPR program. The qualifications of the instructors in CPR fell primarily in four categories: physician, physical therapist, regis tered nurse, and a person certified by some type of medical association. Most of the schools listed a physical therapist as the instructor. Eight programs reported having an instructor certified by either the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association.
DISCUSSION
Among the fifty-one schools which re sponded to the questionnaire, twenty-four (47%) either were not teaching CPR or believed what was being taught should be improved. The American Heart Association is specific at this time on who should be trained and how the training should be conducted. 1 All hospital personnel should be familiar with proper, updated basic life support CPR. Those physical therapists who have continuous patient contact, especially if it involves acute care or stressing minimally compensated cardio pulmonary patients, should have proven com petency in these basic life support techniques. This competency should ideally be confirmed through examination by a certified instructor in CPR. The instructor can be certified to teach basic life support CPR by successfully completVolume 55 / Number 7, July 1975
Yea
No (1)
Yes No (2)
Yes No (3)
(1) Manikins used (2) Arrhythmia recognition (3) Program adequate Fig. 3. Use of manikins, arrhythmia recogni tion, and adequacy of program in thirty-seven physical therapy schools having a cardiopul monary resuscitation training program. 745
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/55/7/744/4567637 by Washington University, Law School Library user on 16 February 2019
|
1
2
3
u
567
8+*
Years of Program *Did not reply Fig. 4. Years that the cardiopulmonary resuscitation training program had been taught in thirty-seven physical therapy programs. ing the CPR instructor's course according to the American Heart Association's standards, and he should have a valid instructor's certificate. This preparation requires usually one day of instruc tion, practice, and testing. Adequate training in CPR should be included in the curriculum of our physical therapy programs. The training should not be left to the various in-service programs of institutions in
746
which students affiliate or in which they later work. The chances for not getting the proper training are too great, and the possible conse quences are too grave. REFERENCES
1. American Heart Association: Standards for CPR and Emergency Cardiac Care, 1973. Available through the state American Heart Association affiliate
PHYSICAL THERAPY
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/55/7/744/4567637 by Washington University, Law School Library user on 16 February 2019
Just Started
HARVEY L. PRICE, JR., B.A.
Sixty-two physical therapy schools were surveyed regarding their teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Eighty-two percent of the schools responded to the questions and 27 percent indicated no such instruction. Included in this report is a copy of the questionnaire and the results of the survey. The recommendation is made that all physical therapists receive adequate training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and that their competency be confirmed by examination.
Increasingly, programs using physical therapy personnel in the rehabilitation of patients who have had a heart attack or who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are being developed in hospitals and clinics. These programs involve treatment of patients with already proven borderline cardiopulmonary systems. Physical therapy clinics are also seeing a higher percentage of patients who may suffer acute embarrassment of their cardiovascular centers, including patients who may suffer a cardiopulmonary crisis. With this trend in physical therapy becoming apparent, it seemed logical to ascertain, on a national basis, the present level of training in basic life support cardiopulmonary resuscita tion (CPR) in our physical therapy schools. In November 1973,1 sent a questionnaire concern ing the teaching of CPR to the directors of sixty-two physical therapy schools (Fig. 1). RESULTS By August 1974, fifty-one (82%) of the sixty-two questionnaires had been returned. When the replies were divided into negative and positive, the first question showed that four teen (27%) of fifty-one school programs had no Mr. Price is Director, Special Services Department, Josephine County General Hospital, Grants Pass, OR 97526.
744
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training questionnaire 1. Is there presently formal training in your cur riculum in the recognition and treatment of cardiopulmonary emergencies? Yes No 2. If "yes" to question #1: a. How many hours are there of classroom instruction? b. How many hours are there of clinical prac tice? c. Are resuscitation manikins utilized in the practice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation? Yes No d. Is there instruction in arrhythmia recognition? Yes No e. What is (are) the qualification(s) of the instructor(s)? f. How long have you had such training in your Physical Therapy School program? g. Do you think that the present training is adequate for what the student later en counters in the clinic and on the ward? Yes No 3. If "no" to question #1: Do you consider such training necessary for a Physical Therapy School program? Yes No Why? 4. Comments, if any:
Fig. 1. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation train ing questionnaire. PHYSICAL THERAPY
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/55/7/744/4567637 by Washington University, Law School Library user on 16 February 2019
A Survey of Instruction in Physical Therapy Schools
l
2
3
U
5
6 8 + * 0 | l 2 3 l i 6 8 + *
Hours i n c l a s s r o o m
Hours c l i n i c a l p r a c t i c e
1 2 3 U 5 6 7 8 + * Total combined hours
*Did not reply
Fig. 2. Hours of instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in thirty-seven physical therapy schools having such a training program. CPR program. Of these fourteen, seven schools indicated that the program was not necessary; the other seven said that it was. Figures 2 through 4 summarize the replies received from the thirty-seven schools which had a CPR program. The qualifications of the instructors in CPR fell primarily in four categories: physician, physical therapist, regis tered nurse, and a person certified by some type of medical association. Most of the schools listed a physical therapist as the instructor. Eight programs reported having an instructor certified by either the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association.
DISCUSSION
Among the fifty-one schools which re sponded to the questionnaire, twenty-four (47%) either were not teaching CPR or believed what was being taught should be improved. The American Heart Association is specific at this time on who should be trained and how the training should be conducted. 1 All hospital personnel should be familiar with proper, updated basic life support CPR. Those physical therapists who have continuous patient contact, especially if it involves acute care or stressing minimally compensated cardio pulmonary patients, should have proven com petency in these basic life support techniques. This competency should ideally be confirmed through examination by a certified instructor in CPR. The instructor can be certified to teach basic life support CPR by successfully completVolume 55 / Number 7, July 1975
Yea
No (1)
Yes No (2)
Yes No (3)
(1) Manikins used (2) Arrhythmia recognition (3) Program adequate Fig. 3. Use of manikins, arrhythmia recogni tion, and adequacy of program in thirty-seven physical therapy schools having a cardiopul monary resuscitation training program. 745
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/55/7/744/4567637 by Washington University, Law School Library user on 16 February 2019
|
1
2
3
u
567
8+*
Years of Program *Did not reply Fig. 4. Years that the cardiopulmonary resuscitation training program had been taught in thirty-seven physical therapy programs. ing the CPR instructor's course according to the American Heart Association's standards, and he should have a valid instructor's certificate. This preparation requires usually one day of instruc tion, practice, and testing. Adequate training in CPR should be included in the curriculum of our physical therapy programs. The training should not be left to the various in-service programs of institutions in
746
which students affiliate or in which they later work. The chances for not getting the proper training are too great, and the possible conse quences are too grave. REFERENCES
1. American Heart Association: Standards for CPR and Emergency Cardiac Care, 1973. Available through the state American Heart Association affiliate
PHYSICAL THERAPY
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/55/7/744/4567637 by Washington University, Law School Library user on 16 February 2019
Just Started
