Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 May 3;125(3):180-5.
doi: 10.1590/s1516-31802007000300010.

Do our newly graduated medical doctors have adequate knowledge about neonatal resuscitation?

Ana Paula de Carvalho Panzeri Carlotti  1 , Maria Lúcia Silveira Ferlin, Francisco Eulógio Martinez
Affiliations

Do our newly graduated medical doctors have adequate knowledge about neonatal resuscitation?

Ana Paula de Carvalho Panzeri Carlotti et al. Sao Paulo Med J. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Context and objective: Neonatal resuscitation should be part of medical school curriculums. We aimed to evaluate medical school graduates' knowledge of neonatal resuscitation.

Design and setting: Cross-sectional study on the performance of candidates sitting a medical residency exam at Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, in 2004.

Methods: There were two questions on neonatal resuscitation. One question in the theory test aimed at evaluating basic knowledge on the initial approach towards newly born infants. The question in the practical exam was designed to evaluate the candidate's ability to perform the initial steps of resuscitation and to establish bag-mask ventilation.

Results: Out of 642 candidates from 74 medical schools, 151 (23.5%) answered the theory question correctly. Significantly more physicians from public medical schools in the State of São Paulo answered correctly than did those from other schools in Brazil (52.5% versus 9.2%; p < 0.05). A total of 436 candidates did the practical exam. The grades among graduates from medical schools belonging to the State of São Paulo were significantly higher than among those from other schools (5.9 +/- 2.6 versus 4.1 +/- 2.1; p < 0.001). The grades for the practical question among candidates who had answered the theory question correctly were significantly higher than those obtained by candidates who had given wrong answers (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Medical school graduates' knowledge of neonate resuscitation in the delivery room is quite precarious. Emphasis on neonatal resuscitation training is urgently needed in medical schools.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO:: A reanimação neonatal deveria fazer parte do curriculum médico. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar os conhecimentos básicos sobre reanimação neonatal de egressos de faculdades de medicina.

TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL:: Estudo transversal do desempenho dos candidatos que participaram do concurso para residência médica no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo em 2004.

MÉTODOS:: O exame tinha duas questões: uma teórica, com o objetivo de avaliar o conhecimento dos primeiros passos da recepção e uma prova prática, que pretendia avaliar a habilidade do candidato em executar os primeiros passos da ressuscitação e a ventilação com bolsa e máscara.

RESULTADOS:: Dos 642 candidatos provenientes de 74 faculdades, 151 (23,5%) acertaram a questão teórica. A taxa de acerto foi significativamente maior entre os egressos das escolas médicas públicas do Estado de São Paulo quando comparadas com as demais escolas do Brasil (52,5% versus 9,2%, p < 0,05). Realizaram a prova prática 436 candidatos. As notas dos egressos das escolas estaduais de São Paulo foram significativamente maiores do que as notas dos egressos das demais faculdades (5,9 ± 2,6 versus 4,1 ± 2,1, p < 0,001). As notas obtidas no exame prático pelos alunos que acertaram a questão teórica foram significativamente maiores do que as notas obtidas pelos alunos que erraram (p < 0,05).

CONCLUSÃO:: O conhecimento dos egressos das escolas médicas sobre o atendimento ao recém-nascido na sala de parto é muito precário, existindo, portanto, a premente necessidade de que seja dada maior ênfase ao ensino da reanimação neonatal durante a graduação em medicina.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors are professors in one of the medical schools in the State of São Paulo whose graduate doctors participated in the study.

References

    1. Apgar V. A proposal for a new method of evaluation of the newborn infant. Curr Res Anesth Analg. 1953;32(4):260–267. - PubMed
    1. Apgar V, James LS. Further observations on the newborn scoring system. Am J Dis Child. 1962;104:419–428. - PubMed
    1. Finster M, Wood M. The Apgar score has survived the test of time. Anesthesiology. 2005;102(4):855–857. - PubMed
    1. Bloom RS, Cropley C. Textbook of Neonatal Resuscitation. 3rd ed. Dallas: American Heart Association & American Academy of Pediatrics; 1996.
    1. Kattwinkel J, Niermeyer S, Nadkarni V, et al. Resuscitation of the newly born infant: an advisory statement from the Pediatric Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1999;40(2):71–88. - PubMed

MeSH terms