Student paramedic experience with prehospital cardiac arrest cases in Johannesburg, South Africa

Objective. To describe the exposure of paramedic students studying at university level to prehospital cardiac arrest cases encountered during clinical learning. Method. Prehospital cardiac arrest cases included in an electronic clinical learning database between 2001 and 2007 were extracted and subjected to descriptive analysis in terms of student exposure and resuscitation-related procedures carried out by students. Results. On average, approximately 50% of first-and second-year students had any exposure to adult cardiac arrest cases, whereas approximately 75% of third-year students did. Very few students had any exposure to pediatric cases. Students who were exposed to cardiac arrest cases averaged two cases in the first and second years and three cases in the third year. The average maximum exposure for first-and second-year students was four cases and the average for third-year students was six cases. Less than half of the students exposed to cardiac arrest cases in any academic year of study were able to practice basic adult or pediatric resuscitation-related procedures. Relatively few students had any experience of adult or pediatric venous cannulation or management of patients with return of spontaneous circulation. Conclusion. In general, the exposure of paramedic students to prehospital cardiac arrest cases was low, as was their opportunity to practice resuscitation procedures in this context.