While we can all agree that learning high quality CPR training matters in both human and veterinary medicine, does refresher training make a difference?

  The first step in being a high-quality pet resuscitator is learning how to perform CPR. Options for this include reading about CPR, taking interactive courses in CPR training, and in-person training. Building this solid foundation is the first step to becoming an expert. After learning the basics, these steps have to be practiced in non-emergency settings until they are natural and instinctual. Once CPR training has been practiced and mastered in drills/training exercises, using them in emergency situations is appropriate. Unfortunately, in some avenues of veterinary medicine, these CPR skills are tested daily in emergency hospitals. In other cases, these skills thankfully are only needed a few times a year. Whether it’s daily or yearly, CPR skills always need to be polished and ready to use. This requires refresher training. In human medicine, CPR refresher training is recommended every 3-6 months, and at Intensivets we encourage all of our pet CPR resuscitators to aim for these same goals. Refresher training is often two-fold: refreshing basics through interactive on-line training/didactic training and mannequin training drills. As a hospital, CPR training drills should be completed quarterly, and debriefing should occur afterwards to create goals for improvement and retraining. A study completed in 2012 in the Emergency Medical Clinics of North America compared CPR efficacy and quality with traditional training and training with refresher courses and expert debriefing. They noted significant decline in quality of CPR months after traditional training with no refresher training but saw less decline with refresher training and a longer retention of skill after refresher training. The graph below shows their findings: Intensivets CPR, Pet CPR training
Figure 1, Resuscitation quality after training. Curve A depicts quality decline after traditional instruction. Note the fall into gray shaded zone of poor quality several months after initial training. Curve B represents the theoretical addition of high realism simulation and expert debriefing. Although there is no change in rate of psychomotor skill quality decrement over time, resuscitation quality is maintained longer owing to higher level of initial skill acquisition. Curve C represents addition of frequent refresher training in addition to simulation to prevent decrement to poor quality.
Graph Source: Sutton RM, Nadkarni V, Abella BS. “Putting it all together” to improve resuscitation quality. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2011;30(1):105–122. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2011.09.001
  How can Intensivets’ CPR course help veterinary CPR resuscitators stay on the top of their skill level? The Intensivets interactive course is available for review for up to a year after purchase and can be available for the quarterly refreshers. Individuals can upload videos of CPR drills in their clinics and Dr. Whitehead and Dr. Hemmelgarn can provide feedback and recommended goals to improve individual or team performance. Intensivets also provides in hospital training (contact us directly if interested in location trainings). To learn more about Intensivets course offerings or in-hospital training visits, visit the courses page here or email info@intensivets.com.
 

Providing the best in-class training for vet professionals, Intensivets donates pet CPR courses for the veterinary staff at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.

  Intensivets announced donating their online pet CPR training course to the veterinary department at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. (GDB), an industry-leading guide dog school committed to serving people who are blind or have low vision. “We are dedicated to changing and saving pet lives and are pleased to have an opportunity to team-up with the veterinary staff at GDB, who share our passion,” said Dr. KimMi Whitehead, Cofounder of Intensivets. “We believe our pet CPR course will provide the veterinarians and veterinary technicians with a new perspective and refresher on resuscitation training.” “Our Guide Dogs for the Blind veterinary staff is always looking for great continuing education opportunities,” said Dr. Jeffrey Barnet, a staff veterinarian at Guide Dogs for the Blind. “The course offered by Intensivets helps keep our medical staff up-to-date on the latest and greatest in resuscitation education, which allows us to focus on our mission to empower lives by creating exceptional partnerships between people, dogs, and communities.” To learn more about Intensivets course offerings, visit the courses page here or email info@intensivets.com. To learn more about Guide Dogs for the Blind, please visit their website at www.guidedogs.com.

A portable monitor can be used to measure efficacy of pet CPR in small animal patients.

How does this help with doing pet CPR? Pet patients that have ETCO2 measurements of more than 10-15mmHg have a higher chance of return of spontaneous circulation than those that present ETCO2 measurements of less than 10-15mmHg. The monitor can help veterinary professionals be aware of these numbers and continue to administer pet CPR. How else can I use it in my practice or hospital? A portable ETCO2 monitor can also be used when patients are anesthetized or intubated and being transported between surgery prep, surgical suites, and/or radiology department. Portable ETCO2 monitors are certainly useful during veterinary pet CPR, but also with any anesthetized patient in the hospital. A hospital or practice that is equipped with portable and reliable monitors will increase the safety for all patients in the hospital, regardless of the urgency of the case. If you are curious about how to prepare your team for pet CPR protocols, review our 100% online course here, or listen to my recent interview with Doctor Radio on SiriusXM here. – Author: Dr. Carey Hemmelgarn, DVM, DACVECC  
Sources:
  1. Kolar M, Krizmaric M, Klemen P, et al. Partial pressure of end-tidal carbon diox- ide successful predicts cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the field: a prospective observational study. Crit Care 2008;12(5):R115.
  2. Hofmeister EH, Brainard BM, Egger CM, et al. Prognostic indicators for dogs and cats with cardiopulmonary arrest treated by cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation at a university teaching hospital. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2009; 235(1):50–7.
The only online pet CPR course to feature interactive lessons and feedback mechanisms. Intensivets is pleased to announce the launch of their online veterinary cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training course. Developed by board-certified emergency critical care veterinarians, the course is 100% online and allows students to learn at their own pace, perfect for busy veterinary professionals. This is the first pet CPR course to incorporate interactive learning by featuring quizzes, exercises, animations, audio clips, downloadable resources, and feedback mechanisms with veterinary experts. The goal for this course is for veterinary professionals to help prepare their teams at clinics and hospitals for cardiopulmonary resuscitation situations and be trained to perform CPR. Divided into eight manageable sections, the 2-hour course is RACE certified for two continuing education credits. For more information, visit our courses page here, or to learn about our team pricing contact Intensivets at info@intensivets.com.