Initial and long-term competency of citizens trained in CPR.

Abstract

Lay citizens trained in a three-hour course can perform CPR at an acceptable level when tested immediately after class. By one year after training, retention of most CPR skills is poor. The 20- 15 minutes necessary for retention testing appeared to improved performance on subsequent retention testing. Therefore, a one-how review class with mannequin practice was established to reinforce skills. For students initially trained one year earlier, review classes significantly improved competency in almost all procedures and raised it to the level found after initial training.