Table 1.
Situation, sequence, and scenario for the unannounced examination of pediatric basic life support skills
| Situation | |
| • Two investigators (MB, MC) enter the hospital • Secretary guides both investigators to a consulting room • Pediatricians and pediatric residents ignorant of the investigators’ arrival • Preparation of the manikin (Resusci® Junior Basic) • Preparation of other test materials (e.g., scoring forms, questionnaires, stopwatch) | |
| Sequence | |
| • Secretary summons pediatricians and residents consecutively to the consulting room • Test procedure and scenario are explained to the participant • Participant signs informed consent form • Participant performs practical PBLS exam • Participant completes MCQ, questionnaire, and self-assessment • Participant receives feedback on his/her performance • Participant is instructed not to notify his/her colleagues about our presence | |
| Scenario | |
| • Participant is instructed to perform PBLS according to the Dutch guideline1 • Participant is instructed to work through the entire algorithm, including chest compressions • Participant is instructed to continue until investigators say “ambulance has arrived” • Scenario involves an approximately 8-year-old boy found unconscious on the pavement • No foreign body airway obstruction • No trauma • No witnessed sudden collapse • Investigators serve as fictitious bystanders • No cues or suggestions given by the investigators • Use of an AED not tested in this scenario • All participants tested individually |
PBLS pediatric basic life support, MCQ multiple-choice test, AED automated external defibrillator
1The PBLS guideline of the Dutch Resuscitation Council is equivalent to the ERC guideline