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. 2023 Feb 4;10(2):67.
doi: 10.3390/jcdd10020067.

Virtual Reality Simulator versus Conventional Advanced Life Support Training for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Post-Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Jette J Peek  1 , Samuel A Max  1   2 , Wouter Bakhuis  1 , Isabelle C Huig  3 , Rodney A Rosalia  1 , Amir H Sadeghi  1 , Edris A F Mahtab  1
Affiliations

Virtual Reality Simulator versus Conventional Advanced Life Support Training for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Post-Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Jette J Peek et al. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. .

Abstract

External chest compressions are often ineffective for patients arresting after cardiac surgery, for whom emergency resternotomy may be required. A single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed, with participants being randomized to a virtual reality (VR) Cardiac Surgical Unit Advanced Life Support (CSU-ALS) simulator training arm or a conventional classroom CSU-ALS training arm. Twenty-eight cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) residents were included and subsequently assessed in a moulage scenario in groups of two, either participating as a leader or surgeon. The primary binary outcomes were two time targets: (1) delivering three stacked shocks within 1 min and (2) resternotomy within 5 min. Secondary outcomes were the number of protocol mistakes made and a questionnaire after the VR simulator. The conventional training group administered stacked shocks within 1 min in 43% (n = 6) of cases, and none in the VR group reached this target, missing it by an average of 25 s. The resternotomy time target was reached in 100% of the cases (n = 14) in the conventional training group and in 83% of the cases (n = 10) in the VR group. The VR group made 11 mistakes in total versus 15 for those who underwent conventional training. Participants reported that the VR simulator was useful and easy to use. The results show that the VR simulator can provide adequate CSU-ALS training. Moreover, VR training results in fewer mistakes suggesting that repetitive practice in an immersive environment improves skills.

Keywords: cardiac surgery; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; emergency resternotomy; manikin training; medical training; simulation training; virtual reality; virtual reality simulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

A.H.S., E.A.F.M., J.J.P., R.A.R., S.A.M. and W.B. are co-developers of the CPVR software.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Screenshots and pictures of the VR training; (B) pictures of the conventional training; (C) a participant performing the assessment case using the manikin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of the study design of this randomized control trial.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A diverging stacked bar chart demonstrating the usefulness, satisfaction, ease of use, and immersiveness data from participants rating the CPVR-sim. Inconsistencies in the sum of percentages is due to the rounding of the percentages. CPVR-sim—cardiopulmonary resuscitation virtual reality simulator.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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