Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training: the need for continued education and training

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has a poor survival rate that may in part be due to flawed technique and training [1]. Recent recommendations for education and training have been issued for staff with responsibility for resuscitating patients [2]. These include 'staff with patient contact should be given regular resuscitation training appropriate to their expected abilities and roles', and 'cardiopulmonary arrest should be managed according to national guidelines'. The use of human patient simulators has become increasingly common in medical education [3]. Their use for exposing staff to high-risk complex clinical situations such as CPR is advocated by the department of health [4].