Potentially dangerous resuscitation techniques being taught

3.00pm

Some resuscitation practices being taught may be "years out of date", seriously unacceptable, and potentially dangerous, Resuscitation Council (NZRC) chairman Duncan Galletly said today.

Prof Galletly said it seemed some CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) instructors had inadequate knowledge and could be teaching potentially harmful skills.

"Some of the resuscitation practices being taught are now years out of date, some are unheard of, and some are clearly dangerous.

"Some are appropriate for health professionals only, and some appear to be made up at the whim of the instructor," he said.

Prof Galletly said as well as imparting questionable skills, some instructors were of concern because of their attitudes, "in particular professional arrogance".

"We've had a recent instance where the instructor agreed with a student that breaking the ribs of a cardiac arrest victim would help with the performance of CPR; that children do not die of choking and not to worry about neck fractures in victims of road trauma," he said.

NZRC deputy chairwoman Pip Mason said the council was trying to ascertain the extent of the problem. There had been difficulties for a while, she said, but three or four written complaints in the last month meant the council needed to find out more.

"We're trying to find out just how severe the problem is out there. We think it's a lot worse than we anticipated," she told NZPA today.

Mrs Mason said the NZRC was also concerned that low standards of training extend to credits offered through the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) framework.

She said the resuscitation units on the NZQA framework required students to go through an assessment process.

"In some instances, students are being given credits from the NZQA framework without any assessment whatsoever. In fact students may be asked to simply assess their own competence," Mrs Mason said.

The council was working with the NZQA in an effort to iron out the problems.

Mrs Mason said the NZRC offered a standardised two-day instructors' course, but some organisations chose to train their instructors internally.

"That isn't the best approach -- an internal auditing system doesn't constitute quality. It's really very important to make sure there is some form of external scrutiny.

"The NZRC have the knowledge, we have the experts and we are the ones who set the standards."

- NZPA

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