Resuscitation education: Narrowing the gap between evidence-based resuscitation guidelines and performance using best educational practices

Effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) saves lives. Recent evidence suggests that basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) delivered during cardiopulmonary arrests are of variable quality, and poor quality contributes to poor patient survival. To optimize patient Outcomes, it is essential that we design curricula that implement effective instructional strategies to ensure that lay rescuers and health care providers consistently perform high-quality resuscitation. Resuscitation scientists are currently studying various mechanisms to improve the quality of resuscitation delivered to patients who have cardiopulmonary arrest. Recent attempts to improve the quality of CPR include the use of "smart devices" that coach rescuers on achieving the recommended rate of ventilations and depth/rate of compressions, allowing the chest to fully recoil, minimizing compression-free pauses, and defibrillating shockable rhythms. In the past and in the foreseeable future, however, the key element underlying the quality of resuscitation delivered to patients is the effectiveness of resuscitation education.