Aim Out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a medical emergency where immediate treatment with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are known to be paramount for survival. For professionals, international guidelines recommend high-performance CPR (HP-CPR) along with advanced life support. Currently, HP-CPR is not formally taught nor implemented in Denmark. This study evaluates a novel approach to HP-CPR education in a Danish ambulance service.

Method A two-day intensive course consisting of theoretical presentations and practical supervised workshops was planned and completed. Pre- and post-course, all participants completed a CPR cycle on a mannequin measuring data on CPR performance followed by a multiple-choice test and a self-efficacy questionnaire. The primary outcome was before and after evaluation of individual non-technical skills within resuscitation, the secondary outcome was before and after evaluation of technical skills through CPR performance.

Results In total, 23 EMS providers completed the course. Individual self-efficacy in resuscitation capabilities increased from a mean (SD) 8,09 (0,80) to 9,3 (0,59) (p<0,001) on a 0–10 score with 0 being inadequate. Resuscitation knowledge improved from a mean (SD) of 76,77% (14,4) to 90,89% (4,9) (p<0,002). CPR performance improved from a mean (SD) 85,52% (23,7) to 92,70% (13) (p=0,126).

Conclusion This study suggests that our novel approach to HP-CPR education is advantageous as we found a significant increase in self-efficacy and CPR knowledge along with a non-significant increase in CPR performance. Future studies should investigate whether Danish HP-CPR trained EMS providers improve 30 day survival in real-life OHCA.

Conflict of interest None

Funding None