Do Video Calls Improve Dispatcher-Assisted First Aid for Infants with Foreign Body Airway Obstruction? A Randomized Controlled Trial/Simulation Study

Abstract

Background: Because choking quickly leads to cardiopulmonary arrest, it is crucial that bystanders remove foreign bodies effectively. Although oral instructions in video calls by dispatchers have improved the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, it is unclear whether video calls improve the quality of first aid for choking infants. Therefore, this simulation study aimed to determine whether video calls with dispatchers improve the quality of first aid for infants with foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO).

Methods: Seventy first-year college students randomly assigned in pairs to communicate by video or audio calls participated in simulated emergency calls for infants with FBAO. Both groups began with oral instruction in voice calls until the transition was made to video calls in the video group. The primary outcome was quality of first aid performance, which was categorized as excellent, acceptable, or poor on the basis of existing guidelines.

Results: There were 17 simulations in the video-call groups and 16 in the voice-call groups. After initial oral instruction, the proportion of rescuers that received an evaluation of excellent or acceptable did not differ significantly between the groups (video, 41% vs. voice, 50%; P=0.61); however, evaluations for seven rescuers improved after transitioning to video calls. Ultimately, the proportion receiving a poor evaluation was significantly lower in the video-call group than in the voice-call group (50% vs. 82%, P=0.049).

Conclusion: Oral instruction communicated by video calls improved the quality of first aid for infants with FBAO.

Keywords: airway obstruction; emergency ambulance system; first aid; pediatric emergency medicine; prehospital care.