Save-a-life at the ballpark: 10-min spectator training achieves proficiency in cardiac arrest response

ObjectiveTo determine immediate recall, feasibility, and efficiency of a brief out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) bystander response training session at a large sporting event. We introduce two new measures of efficiency for training: (i) cardiac arrest training yield (CATY), i.e., number trained/number of spectators, and (ii) the training efficiency index for cardiac arrest (TEICA), i.e., persons trained per volunteer hours.MethodsA convenience sample of baseball fans participated in a 10-min training on OHCA recognition, CPR and automatic external defibrillator (AED) use and completed post-training knowledge surveys.ResultsOut of 20,000 spectators, 198 participated for a CATY of 1%. Seventy-five volunteers over 3 h of training generated a TEICA of 0.88. 90% of respondents identified the proper rate of chest compressions. 90% of respondents recognized an AED's function; 98% recognized it was easy to use. 83% recognized chest compressions as the next step after calling 911 and 62% included AED as part of the OHCA response.ConclusionsA 10-min training session is feasible and can achieve good recall in cardiac arrest response. However, participant recruitment dominated most of our volunteer effort. Our results can serve as a framework in the development of future health promotion campaigns.