Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac arrest remains a leading global cause of death. High-quality chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are crucial for patient outcomes. Basic life support (BLS) training must be adequately incorporated into undergraduate training. During the pandemic-regulated restrictions, our institute started the online CPR training course for medical undergraduates so that some training could be imparted to them if they needed to staff the clinical areas. This study compared online with traditional mannequin-based CPR training regarding skill acquisition and knowledge retention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized cross-sectional study involved 108 medical undergraduates divided into two groups to receive online-based training (Group 1) and mannequin-based training (Group 2). Compression depth and rate were objectively measured using an AmbuMan CPR training mannequin. Knowledge assessment was conducted using relevant clinical vignettes, and participant performance was assessed using a skill-based checklist. RESULTS: Both groups had comparable baseline knowledge. Group 2 exhibited significantly higher post intervention knowledge assessment and skill-based checklist scores. Mean compression depth [36.28 (13.84) vs 51.6 (8.7), P < 0.001] and median rate [110 (87.5 to 129.50) vs 123.0 (111.0 to 133.0), P = 0.012] were better in mannequin trained participants. Group 2 participants demonstrated superior skills across all checklist items, with notable differences in pre compression and compression steps. Scene safety checks (62%), compression rate (44%), and compression depth (48%) showed the most significant improvements, whereas steps involving Automated External Defibrillator (AED) usage had minimal enhancements. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study are significant, demonstrating that hands-on mannequin-based training is significantly more effective than online training in teaching BLS skills to novice medical students, particularly in achieving correct chest compression depth and rate. The study's findings indicate that hands-on training is indispensable for effective skill acquisition despite the widespread adoption of online teaching.