CPR: Save a life – Ecuador (AEMPPI)

Name of the activity: CPR: Save a life

Country/NMO: Ecuador (AEMPPI)

Program: Teaching Medical Skills

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Capacity Building (Training or Workshop)

General description:

“CPR: Save a life” is a two-part activity (theoretical-practical workshop and
simulation) that seeks to capacitate 200 medical students from all over the
country in the correct management and application of basic CPR maneuvers,
as well as to identify the patients who are suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest.
During the first part will be taught topics as the concept of CPR as well as the
basic maneuvers that are recommended, which will be do in the practical part
of the project. Also, the functions of the different health professionals involved
in this process. During the second part, the participants will be divided and
they will perform the CPR maneuvers with hypothetical cases.

Focus area:

First Aid/CPR/BLS

Problem statement:

More than 40 years ago, current cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques
were introduced into medical practice. However, the lack of formalized and
generalized education during third level studies within health careers
generates that in practice the maneuvers are exclusive to intensive care
physicians, emergency physicians and anesthesiologists; although it is
estimated that between 0.4% and 2% of the patients admitted to a hospital
will present a cardiorespiratory arrest which could be managed with a correct
application of CPR. That is why it is important to capacitate medical students
so that they can act in these situations, because every doctor in their life will
have to manage a patient with a cardiorespiratory arrest, and knowing and
applying basic maneuvers such as cardiac massage and ventilation of the respiratory tract can mean a lot between life and death.

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Target groups: students of third level studies within health careers, such as
medicine and nursing.
Beneficiaries: patients with a cardiorespiratory arrest who can be treated
earlier with better outcomes.

Objectives and indicators of success:

Capacitate 200 medical students from all over the country about the correct
management and application of CPR maneuvers to the patient with
cardiorespiratory arrest.
Teach medical students to identify the different signs of cardiorespiratory
arrest.
We will simulate hypothetical cases so that medical students perform the
CPR maneuvers.

Methodology:

First, experts in the topic are going to facilitate a conference that includes:
cardiorespiratory arrest (Definition, types, signs, and common situations);
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (basic, advanced, post-CPR); professionals
involved in CPR; and a practice about basic CPR maneuvers, such as
cardiac massage, ventilation of the respiratory tract and artificial respiration.
Then, during the simulation the participants will be divided in small groups to
solve hypothetical cases.

Plans for evaluation:

We have 2 ways for us to evaluate the activity:
First, during the simulation the participants will be evaluate with a test created
by professionals. After the project, we will ask them for feedback in the
different logistic areas, including the theory topics, to improve our activities.