Knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the Internal Medicine Department: Scenario of the crash carts

Abstract

Introduction: The coronary artery disease is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. In up to 50% of cases it can occur suddenly, with cardiorespiratory arrest, sometimes as the first and last symptom.

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the conditions of the crash carts.

Method: A descriptive and transversal study was carried out, with 63 health professionals, in the Internal Medicine Department of the «Hospital Celia Sánchez Manduley», in Manzanillo, Cuba, in April 2016; they were given a knowledge questionnaire and a form to evaluate the crash carts. 

Results: The 75% of participants demonstrated low knowledge. The 69.9% of doctors have 1 to 5 years of experience and of them, 50% showed a low level of knowledge and the rest, average. In the three groups of the analyzed graduated nurses, more than 85% achieved a low rating. The 80% of doctors and 83.3% of graduates who received a course on resuscitation showed low knowledge. Of the five rooms that the Internal Medicine Department has, only one has a crash cart and its condition is not tolerable.

Conclusions: There is a lack of knowledge concerning cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the Internal Medicine Department. Years of experience and training in the subject are not associated with the level of knowledge. There is a crash cart and its condition is not tolerable.